NY State Senate Bill S647

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (2)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to insurance
Jan 09, 2019	referred to insurance

S647 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: S3989

S647 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to prohibiting insurance coverage for assisted suicide; disallowing any individual, group, or contract insurance from covering physician-assisted suicide, including but not limited to, aid-in-dying prescription drugs.

S647 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S647

SPONSOR: BOYLE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to
prohibiting insurance coverage for physician assisted suicide

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide that no policy of accident or health insurance shall provide
coverage for physician-assisted suicide, including but not limited to,
coverage for any aid-in-dying prescription drug.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection. No policy of accident or health insurance shall provide
coverage for physician-assisted suicide, including but not limited to,
coverage for any aid-in-dying prescription drug.

Section 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection. No group or blanket accident and health insurance policy

shall provide coverage for physician-assisted suicide, including but not
limited to, coverage for any aid-in-dying prescription drugs.

Section 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
subsection. No contract issued by a medical expense indemnity corpo-
ration, hospital service corporation or health service corporation shall
provide coverage for physician-assisted suicide, including but not
limited to, coverage for any aid-in-dying prescription drugs.

(For purposes of the above subsections "Physician-assisted suicide"
shall mean voluntary termination of one's own life by administration of
a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician
and "aid-in-dying prescription drug" shall mean a drug determined and
prescribed by a physician which an individual may choose to self-admin-
ister to bring about his or her death.)

Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately

 
JUSTIFICATION:

A person suffering from a terminally ill disease should not be denied
coverage for health care treatments that would help extend their lives
because the cost of treatment is expensive. If legalized, assisted-sui-
cide laws will create an incentive for insurance companies to deny
terminally ill patients coverage for treatment.  Patients fighting for a
longer life may be denied treatment, yet approved coverage for aid in
dying drugs.

A terminal patient's decision to end one's life or continue treatment
should not be based on an insurance company's decision to provide cover-
age for such treatment. By prohibiting insurance companies from covering
aid in dying drugs, individuals will be able to make independent deci-
sions on whether or not to use such drugs.

A terminally ill California woman Stephanie Parker was denied coverage
for chemotherapy treatment but approved aid in dying drugs, shortly
after California passed a law permitting physician-assisted suicide.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18 Referred to Insurance

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately

S647 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf


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

                                   647

                       2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2019
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  BOYLE  -- 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 prohibiting  insurance
  coverage for physician assisted suicide

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 3216 of the insurance law is amended  by  adding  a
new subsection (n) to read as follows:
  (N) (1) NO POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR DELIVERY IN THIS STATE SHALL
PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR  PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED  SUICIDE,  INCLUDING  BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, COVERAGE FOR ANY AID-IN-DYING PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
  (2) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION "PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE" SHALL
MEAN THE VOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF ONE'S OWN LIFE BY ADMINISTRATION OF  A
LETHAL  SUBSTANCE  WITH THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT ASSISTANCE OF A PHYSICIAN
AND "AID-IN-DYING PRESCRIPTION DRUG" SHALL MEAN A  DRUG  DETERMINED  AND
PRESCRIBED  BY A PHYSICIAN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY CHOOSE TO SELF-ADMIN-
ISTER TO BRING ABOUT HIS OR HER DEATH.
  § 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subsection (t) to read as follows:
  (T)  (1)  NO  POLICY OF GROUP OR BLANKET ACCIDENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE
SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, COVERAGE FOR ANY AID-IN-DYING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
  (2) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION "PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE" SHALL
MEAN VOLUNTARY TERMINATION OF ONE'S OWN  LIFE  BY  ADMINISTRATION  OF  A
LETHAL  SUBSTANCE  WITH THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT ASSISTANCE OF A PHYSICIAN
AND "AID-IN-DYING PRESCRIPTION DRUG" SHALL MEAN A  DRUG  DETERMINED  AND
PRESCRIBED  BY A PHYSICIAN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY CHOOSE TO SELF-ADMIN-
ISTER TO BRING ABOUT HIS OR HER DEATH.
  § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subsection (ss) to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD04499-01-9

S. 647                              2

  (SS)  (1)  NO  CONTRACT  ISSUED  BY A MEDICAL EXPENSE INDEMNITY CORPO-
RATION, HOSPITAL SERVICE CORPORATION OR HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATION SHALL
PROVIDE COVERAGE  FOR  PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED  SUICIDE,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT
LIMITED TO, COVERAGE FOR ANY AID-IN-DYING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
  (2) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION "PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE" SHALL
MEAN  VOLUNTARY  TERMINATION  OF  ONE'S  OWN LIFE BY ADMINISTRATION OF A
LETHAL SUBSTANCE WITH THE DIRECT OR INDIRECT ASSISTANCE OF  A  PHYSICIAN
AND  "AID-IN-DYING  PRESCRIPTION  DRUG" SHALL MEAN A DRUG DETERMINED AND
PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL MAY CHOOSE TO  SELF-ADMIN-
ISTER TO BRING ABOUT HIS OR HER DEATH.
  §  4.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
contracts entered into, renewed, modified or amended on  or  after  such
effective date.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S647

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S647 (ACTIVE) - Details

S647 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S647 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S647 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S647

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Sponsored By

Phil Boyle

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Your Voice

Actions

S647 (ACTIVE) - Details

S647 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S647 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S647 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments