NY State Senate Bill 2015-S8011

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 03, 2016	referred to insurance

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10322
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7636, A6103
2019-2020: S4560, A2925
2021-2022: S5071, A3165
2023-2024: S6038, A6913

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to mandatory health insurance coverage for acupuncture services.

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S8011

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to
mandatory health insurance coverage for acupuncture services

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 would amend subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance
law is amended by adding a new paragraph 32.

Section 2 would amend section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new subsection (pp).

Section 3 provides that the effective date for this legislation shall
be 90 days after it is signed into law.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The ACA ensured access of all New Yorkers to a basic level of
healthcare, which included "essential health benefits" which are
loosely outlined by the Federal Government. States are permitted to
expand these "essential health benefits" in order to provide their
citizens with greater access to basic levels of care. Acupuncture is
currently not provided for as an essential health benefit in New York,
and is not covered by New York's basic health plan. This leaves many
New Yorker's without the ability to afford this important treatment.

Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating a number of
conditions, including chronic pain, nausea, headaches, anxiety,
depression, insomnia and infertility. Acupuncture is also a cost
effective alternative to some other forms of treatment, often
resulting in permanent improvement for patients with chronic
conditions. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating
chronic pain as an alternative to opioids. This makes adding
acupuncture as an essential health benefit even more important given
the opioid epidemic facing the state. Ensuring that citizens have
access to quality acupuncture as part of their basic health insurance
offered on the health exchange should be a key part of New York's
public health plan.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

None

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

The State may be liable for any difference in premiums paid in the
event that adding acupuncture as an essential health benefit creates
an additional cost to plans. Given its relative cost effectiveness
compared to other means of treatment, it could result in no
cost/premium increases, or a reduction.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
90 days after it becomes law

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  8011

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              June 3, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  SAVINO -- 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 acupuncture services

  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 33 to read as follows:
  (33)  EVERY  POLICY  ISSUED  WITHIN THE HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE ESTAB-
LISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 1311 OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, 42 U.S.C.  S
18031,  SHALL  PROVIDE  COVERAGE FOR ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT AS DEFINED IN
SECTION EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW  PROVIDED
BY  AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED, AUTHORIZED, OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTY OF THE EDUCATION LAW. HOWEVER,  ACUPUNCTURE  TREATMENT
AND  SERVICES  MAY  BE  SUBJECT TO REASONABLE DEDUCTIBLE, CO-PAYMENT AND
CO-INSURANCE AMOUNT, REASONABLE FEE OR BENEFIT  LIMITS,  AND  REASONABLE
UTILIZATION  REVIEW,  PROVIDED  THAT  ANY SUCH AMOUNTS, LIMITS OR REVIEW
SHALL BE NO GREATER THAN OTHER ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS COVERED BY  THE
POLICY  AND  PROVIDED  FURTHER  THAT ANY SUCH AMOUNTS, LIMITS, OR REVIEW
SHALL NOT FUNCTION  TO  DIRECT  TREATMENT  IN  A  MANNER  DISCRIMINATIVE
AGAINST  ACUPUNCTURE  TREATMENT.  NOTHING  HEREIN  SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS
IMPENDING OR PREVENTING EITHER THE PROVISION OR COVERAGE OF  ACUPUNCTURE
TREATMENT  AND  SERVICES  BY  DULY  LICENSED OR CERTIFIED ACUPUNCTURIST,
WITHIN THE LAWFUL SCOPE OF THE  PRACTICE  OF  ACUPUNCTURE,  IN  HOSPITAL
FACILITIES ON A STAFF OR EMPLOYEE BASIS.
  S  2.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection (qq) to read as follows:
  (QQ) EVERY POLICY ISSUED WITHIN THE  HEALTH  BENEFIT  EXCHANGE  ESTAB-
LISHED  PURSUANT TO SECTION 1311 OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, 42 U.S.C. S
18031, SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT  AS  DEFINED  IN
SECTION  EIGHT THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED ELEVEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW PROVIDED
BY AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED, AUTHORIZED, OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO  ARTICLE
ONE  HUNDRED  SIXTY OF THE EDUCATION LAW. HOWEVER, ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT
AND SERVICES MAY BE SUBJECT TO  REASONABLE  DEDUCTIBLE,  CO-PAYMENT  AND

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD15557-01-6

S. 8011                             2

CO-INSURANCE  AMOUNT,  REASONABLE  FEE OR BENEFIT LIMITS, AND REASONABLE
UTILIZATION REVIEW, PROVIDED THAT ANY SUCH  AMOUNTS,  LIMITS  OR  REVIEW
SHALL  BE NO GREATER THAN OTHER ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS COVERED BY THE
POLICY  AND  PROVIDED  FURTHER  THAT ANY SUCH AMOUNTS, LIMITS, OR REVIEW
SHALL NOT FUNCTION  TO  DIRECT  TREATMENT  IN  A  MANNER  DISCRIMINATIVE
AGAINST  ACUPUNCTURE  TREATMENT.  NOTHING  HEREIN  SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS
IMPEDING OR PREVENTING EITHER THE PROVISION OR COVERAGE  OF  ACUPUNCTURE
TREATMENT  AND  SERVICES  BY  DULY LICENSED OR CERTIFIED ACUPUNCTURISTS,
WITHIN THE LAWFUL SCOPE OF THE  PRACTICE  OF  ACUPUNCTURE,  IN  HOSPITAL
FACILITIES ON A STAFF OR EMPLOYEES BASIS.
  S  3.  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.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S8011

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S8011

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Diane J. Savino

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S8011 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments