Assembly Bill A434

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires the coverage of alternative treatment options by the medical assistance program and private insurers

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly 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

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

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

2021-A434 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Insurance
Law Section:
Insurance Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L; add §365-o, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: A9834
2019-2020: A2772
2023-2024: A1769
2025-2026: A1628

2021-A434 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires that non-pharmaceutical alternative treatment options including but not limited to treatment provided by a licensed acupuncturist, licensed massage therapist, licensed chiropractor, and yoga instructor be covered by the medical assistance program and by private health insurers.

2021-A434 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    434
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Insurance
 
 AN ACT to amend the insurance  law  and  the  social  services  law,  in
   relation  to  requiring the coverage of alternate treatment options by
   the medical assistance program and private health insurers
 
   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 36 to read as follows:
   (36) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR  MEDICAL,  OR  SIMILAR
 COMPREHENSIVE  TYPE  COVERAGE  SHALL  INCLUDE  COVERAGE  FOR ALTERNATIVE
 TREATMENT UTILIZED FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT.  COVERAGE  PROVIDED  UNDER  THIS
 PARAGRAPH SHALL BE LIMITED TO ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT PROVIDED BY A HEALTH
 CARE  PROVIDER  OR  OTHER  LICENSED  INDIVIDUAL.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF THIS
 SUBSECTION, "ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT" MEANS  NON-PHARMACEUTICAL  TREATMENT
 FOR  PAIN  MANAGEMENT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO TREATMENT PROVIDED BY
 (A) A LICENSED ACUPUNCTURIST, (B) A LICENSED MASSAGE  THERAPIST,  (C)  A
 LICENSED CHIROPRACTOR, AND (D) A YOGA INSTRUCTOR.
   § 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph 21 to read as follows:
   (21)  EVERY  GROUP  OR  BLANKET  POLICY  WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR
 MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR COMPREHENSIVE TYPE COVERAGE SHALL  INCLUDE  COVERAGE
 FOR   ALTERNATIVE  TREATMENT  UTILIZED  FOR  PAIN  MANAGEMENT.  COVERAGE
 PROVIDED UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE LIMITED TO ALTERNATIVE  TREATMENT
 PROVIDED  BY  A  HEALTH  CARE PROVIDER OR OTHER LICENSED INDIVIDUAL. FOR
 PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION, "ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT"  MEANS  NON-PHARMA-
 CEUTICAL  TREATMENT  FOR  PAIN  MANAGEMENT  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 TREATMENT PROVIDED BY (A)  A  LICENSED  ACUPUNCTURIST,  (B)  A  LICENSED
 MASSAGE  THERAPIST, (C) A LICENSED CHIROPRACTOR, AND (D) A YOGA INSTRUC-
 TOR.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

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.