S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
2893
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 5, 2009
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Introduced by Sen. BONACIC -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to mandatory health
insurance coverage for providing prosthetic devices
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is
amended by adding a new paragraph 26 to read as follows:
(26) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR
COMPREHENSIVE TYPE COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE COVERAGE EQUAL TO OR ABOVE
MEDICARE'S STANDARD OF COVERAGE FOR PROSTHETIC DEVICES. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE COVERAGE NOT ONLY FOR THE PROVISION OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE
REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A POLICY HOLDER BUT ALSO THE REPAIR OR
REPLACEMENT OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A
POLICY HOLDER. COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE EXPENSES FOR ASSESSMENT, EVALU-
ATION, TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND FOLLOW-UP CARE. COVERAGE SHALL NOT BE
DENIED ON THE GROUND THAT IT IS FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES OR IS NOT FOR A
FUNCTIONAL DEFECT OR IMPAIRMENT. THE TERM "PROSTHETIC DEVICE" AS USED IN
THIS SECTION INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB OR ARTIFICIAL EYE BUT SHALL NOT
INCLUDE SHOES OR ANY OTHER ARTICLE CONSIDERED AS ORDINARY WEARING
APPAREL, WHETHER OR NOT SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED.
S 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new paragraph 18 to read as follows:
(18) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR
COMPREHENSIVE TYPE COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE COVERAGE EQUAL TO OR ABOVE
MEDICARE'S STANDARD OF COVERAGE FOR PROSTHETIC DEVICES. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE COVERAGE NOT ONLY FOR THE PROVISION OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE
REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A POLICY HOLDER BUT ALSO THE REPAIR OR
REPLACEMENT OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A
POLICY HOLDER. COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE EXPENSES FOR ASSESSMENT, EVALU-
ATION, TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND FOLLOW-UP CARE. COVERAGE SHALL NOT BE
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02318-01-9
S. 2893 2
DENIED ON THE GROUND THAT IT IS FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES OR IS NOT FOR A
FUNCTIONAL DEFECT OR IMPAIRMENT. THE TERM "PROSTHETIC DEVICE" AS USED IN
THIS SECTION INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB OR ARTIFICIAL EYE BUT SHALL NOT
INCLUDE SHOES OR ANY OTHER ARTICLE CONSIDERED AS ORDINARY WEARING
APPAREL, WHETHER OR NOT SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED.
S 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection (ff) to read as follows:
(FF) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR
COMPREHENSIVE TYPE COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE COVERAGE EQUAL TO OR ABOVE
MEDICARE'S STANDARD OF COVERAGE FOR PROSTHETIC DEVICES. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE COVERAGE NOT ONLY FOR THE PROVISION OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE
REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A POLICY HOLDER BUT ALSO THE REPAIR OR
REPLACEMENT OF A PROSTHETIC DEVICE REQUIRED TO BE WORN OR USED BY A
POLICY HOLDER. COVERAGE SHALL INCLUDE EXPENSES FOR ASSESSMENT, EVALU-
ATION, TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND FOLLOW-UP CARE. COVERAGE SHALL NOT BE
DENIED ON THE GROUND THAT IT IS FOR COSMETIC PURPOSES OR IS NOT FOR A
FUNCTIONAL DEFECT OR IMPAIRMENT. THE TERM "PROSTHETIC DEVICE" AS USED IN
THIS SECTION INCLUDES AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB OR ARTIFICIAL EYE BUT SHALL NOT
INCLUDE SHOES OR ANY OTHER ARTICLE CONSIDERED AS ORDINARY WEARING
APPAREL, WHETHER OR NOT SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED.
S 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law and shall apply to policies and contracts issued,
renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such effective date.