Assembly Bill A11069

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11069
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 4, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Paulin) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
 
 AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to  providing  reimburse-
   ment  for certain corrective lenses used to correct color vision defi-
   ciency
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a
 new subsection (t) to read as follows:
   (T) (1) EVERY GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY OFFERED IN THE LARGE GROUP
 MARKET THAT IS ISSUED, AMENDED, OR RENEWED IN THIS STATE  SHALL  PROVIDE
 COVERAGE  FOR CORRECTIVE LENSES USED TO CORRECT THE SIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS
 MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED WITH COLOR VISION DEFICIENCY.
   (2) AN INSURED PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF UP TO FOUR
 HUNDRED DOLLARS EVERY THIRTY-SIX MONTHS  FOR  EXPENSES  RELATED  TO  THE
 PURCHASE OF UP TO ONE PAIR OF CORRECTIVE LENSES.
   (3)  THE  INSURED  PERSON  MAY  CHOOSE CORRECTIVE LENSES EXCEEDING THE
 AMOUNT OF COVERAGE REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION AND SHALL BE LIABLE FOR  THE
 DIFFERENCE  IN  COST.  REIMBURSEMENT  SHALL BE PROVIDED ACCORDING TO THE
 RESPECTIVE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN AND  MAY
 INCLUDE  SUCH  POLICY  PROVISIONS AS DEDUCTIBLES, COINSURANCE, ALLOWABLE
 CHARGE LIMITATIONS, AND COORDINATION OF BENEFITS.
   (4) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS  SUBSECTION,  "CORRECTIVE  LENSES"  SHALL
 MEAN  ANY LENS, INCLUDING CONTACT LENSES, GLASSES OR SPECTACLES, WORN IN
 FRONT OF THE EYE TO CORRECT THE SIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED
 WITH COLOR VISION DEFICIENCY.
   § 2. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subsection (ss) to read as follows:
   (SS) (1) A GROUP CONTRACT ISSUED, AMENDED, OR RENEWED PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION  OFFERED  IN  THE  LARGE GROUP MARKET SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR
 CORRECTIVE LENSES USED TO CORRECT THE  SIGHT  OF  INDIVIDUALS  MEDICALLY
 DIAGNOSED WITH COLOR VISION DEFICIENCY.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16144-02-8
              

 A. 11069                            2
 
   (2) AN INSURED PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF UP TO FOUR
 HUNDRED  DOLLARS  EVERY  THIRTY-SIX  MONTHS  FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO THE
 PURCHASE OF UP TO ONE PAIR OF CORRECTIVE LENSES.
   (3)  THE  INSURED  PERSON  MAY  CHOOSE CORRECTIVE LENSES EXCEEDING THE
 AMOUNT OF COVERAGE REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION AND SHALL BE LIABLE FOR  THE
 DIFFERENCE  IN  COST.  REIMBURSEMENT  SHALL BE PROVIDED ACCORDING TO THE
 RESPECTIVE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN AND  MAY
 INCLUDE  SUCH  POLICY  PROVISIONS AS DEDUCTIBLES, COINSURANCE, ALLOWABLE
 CHARGE LIMITATIONS, AND COORDINATION OF BENEFITS.
   (4) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS  SUBSECTION,  "CORRECTIVE  LENSES"  SHALL
 MEAN  ANY LENS, INCLUDING CONTACT LENSES, GLASSES OR SPECTACLES, WORN IN
 FRONT OF THE EYE TO CORRECT THE SIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS MEDICALLY DIAGNOSED
 WITH COLOR VISION DEFICIENCY.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have become a law.