S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8123
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
May 5, 2009
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Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to genetic discrimination
in health insurance
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law is
amended by adding a new paragraph 18 to read as follows:
(18) (A) DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH:
(I) "PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTIC" SHALL MEAN ANY INHERITED
GENE OR CHROMOSOME, OR ALTERATION THEREOF, AS DETERMINED BY A GENETIC
TEST OR INFERRED FROM INFORMATION DERIVED FROM AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY
MEMBER, THAT IS SCIENTIFICALLY OR MEDICALLY BELIEVED TO PREDISPOSE AN
INDIVIDUAL OR THE OFFSPRING OF THAT INDIVIDUAL TO A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL
DISEASE OR DISABILITY, OR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A STATISTICALLY SIGNIF-
ICANT INCREASED RISK OF DEVELOPMENT OF A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISEASE OR
DISABILITY.
(II) "GENETIC TEST" SHALL MEAN A TEST FOR DETERMINING THE PRESENCE OR
ABSENCE OF AN INHERITED GENETIC CHARACTERISTIC IN AN INDIVIDUAL, INCLUD-
ING TESTS OF NUCLEIC ACIDS SUCH AS DNA, RNA AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA, CHRO-
MOSOMES OR PROTEINS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY A PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARAC-
TERISTIC.
(B) NO GROUP OR BLANKET POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR DELIVERY IN
THIS STATE WHICH COVERS FIFTY-ONE OR MORE EMPLOYEES AND PROVIDES HOSPI-
TAL, MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL OR SIMILAR COMPREHENSIVE-TYPE COVERAGE SHALL
EXCLUDE ANY GROUP MEMBER OR ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT OR ESTABLISH ANY RATES OR
TERMS THEREFOR SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF ANY PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARAC-
TERISTIC.
(C) NO ISSUER OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN THIS STATE SHALL REQUIRE OR
UTILIZE TESTS FOR OR INFORMATION ABOUT A GROUP MEMBER'S PREDISPOSING
GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS AS A PART OF THE PROCESS OF UNDERWRITING.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09747-01-9
A. 8123 2
S 2. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 4306-c to
read as follows:
S 4306-C. GENETIC DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. (A) NO CONTRACT ISSUED BY
A HOSPITAL SERVICE CORPORATION, HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATION OR MEDICAL
EXPENSE INDEMNITY CORPORATION TO A GROUP OF FIFTY-ONE OR MORE EMPLOYEES
SHALL EXCLUDE ANY GROUP MEMBER OR ELIGIBLE DEPENDENT OR ESTABLISH ANY
RATES OR TERMS THEREFOR SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF ANY PREDISPOSING GENETIC
CHARACTERISTIC.
(B) NO MEDICAL EXPENSE INDEMNITY CORPORATION, HOSPITAL SERVICE CORPO-
RATION OR HEALTH SERVICES CORPORATION SHALL REQUIRE OR UTILIZE TESTS FOR
OR INFORMATION ABOUT A GROUP MEMBER'S PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTER-
ISTICS.
(C) AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
(1) "PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTIC" SHALL MEAN ANY INHERITED
GENE OR CHROMOSOME, OR ALTERATION THEREOF, AS DETERMINED BY A GENETIC
TEST OR INFERRED FROM INFORMATION DERIVED FROM AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY
MEMBER, THAT IS SCIENTIFICALLY OR MEDICALLY BELIEVED TO PREDISPOSE AN
INDIVIDUAL OR THE OFFSPRING OF THAT INDIVIDUAL TO A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL
DISEASE OR DISABILITY, OR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A STATISTICALLY SIGNIF-
ICANT INCREASED RISK OF DEVELOPMENT OF A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISEASE OR
DISABILITY.
(2) "GENETIC TEST" SHALL MEAN A TEST FOR DETERMINING THE PRESENCE OR
ABSENCE OF AN INHERITED GENETIC CHARACTERISTIC IN AN INDIVIDUAL, INCLUD-
ING TESTS OF NUCLEIC ACIDS SUCH AS DNA, RNA AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA, CHRO-
MOSOMES OR PROTEINS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY A PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARAC-
TERISTIC.
S 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law, and shall apply to all policies and contracts issued,
renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such effective date.