NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7304

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

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to insurance
May 19, 2023	referred to insurance

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2025-2026 Legislative Session:: S4119

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for insurance coverage for electrolysis procedures to stop the growth of hair, when deemed medically necessary.

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7304

SPONSOR: SCARCELLA-SPANTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to coverage for electro-
lysis procedures to stop the growth of hair, when deemed medically
necessary

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is provide insurance coverage for electrolysis
procedures when deemed medically necessary.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is
amended. Every policy, which provides medical, major medical, or similar
comprehensive-type coverage shall provide coverage for electrolysis
procedures to stop the growth of hair, when determined medically neces-
sary, including but not limited to instances necessary for gender-af-
firming treatment.

Coverage provided under this paragraph may be subject to annual deduct-
ible s and co-insurance as deemed appropriate by the superintendent.

Section 2. Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the insurance law is
amended. Every group or blanket policy delivered or issued for delivery
in this state which provides medical, major medical, or similar compre-
hensive-type coverage shall provide coverage for electrolysis procedures
to stop the growth of hair, when determined medically necessary, includ-
ing but not limited to instances necessary for gender-affirming treat-
ment.

Section 3. Amends section 4303 of the insurance law. Every contract
issued by a medical expense indemnity corporation, hospital service
corporation or health service corporation that provides medical, major
medical, or similar comprehensive-type coverage shall provide coverage
for electrolysis procedures to stop the growth of hair, when determined
medically necessary, including but not limited to instances necessary
for gender-affirming treatment.

As in the other sections, coverage provided under this subsection may be
subject to annual deductibles and co-insurance as deemed appropriate by
the superintendent.

Section 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it
shall have become a law and shall apply to any policy issues, renewed,
modified, altered, r amended on or after such effective date,

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In general, health insurance companies will not reimburse for electroly-
sis treatments under any circumstances, as excessive hair growth is
considered a cosmetic problem. However, hair removal prior to gender
assurance surgery can be covered by insurance companies on a case-by-
case basis.


In Washington State, a bill was approved by the Legislature in 2021,
which requires insurers to cover gender-affirming treatments starting in
January 2022.

As gender-affirming treatments include not just surgeries, but also hair
removal in the surgery area, and even on the face sometimes, electroly-
sis hair removal must be 100% covered by insurance.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7304
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 19, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 coverage for  electro-
   lysis  procedures  to  stop  the growth of hair, when deemed medically
   necessary

   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 39 to read as follows:
   (39) (A) EVERY POLICY WHICH PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR  SIMI-
 LAR  COMPREHENSIVE-TYPE COVERAGE SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR ELECTROLYSIS
 PROCEDURES TO STOP THE GROWTH OF HAIR, WHEN DETERMINED MEDICALLY  NECES-
 SARY,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO INSTANCES NECESSARY FOR GENDER-AF-
 FIRMING TREATMENT.
   (B) COVERAGE PROVIDED UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY BE  SUBJECT  TO  ANNUAL
 DEDUCTIBLES  AND  CO-INSURANCE  AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE SUPERINTEN-
 DENT.
   § 2. Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph 23 to read as follows:
   (23) (A) EVERY GROUP OR BLANKET POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR  DELIV-
 ERY  IN  THIS  STATE  WHICH  PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR
 COMPREHENSIVE-TYPE COVERAGE  SHALL  PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR  ELECTROLYSIS
 PROCEDURES  TO STOP THE GROWTH OF HAIR, WHEN DETERMINED MEDICALLY NECES-
 SARY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INSTANCES  NECESSARY  FOR  GENDER-AF-
 FIRMING TREATMENT.
   (B)  COVERAGE  PROVIDED  UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY BE SUBJECT TO ANNUAL
 DEDUCTIBLES AND CO-INSURANCE AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE  BY  THE  SUPERINTEN-
 DENT.
   §  3.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
 subsection (vv) to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD11576-01-3
 S. 7304                             2

 
   (VV) (1) EVERY CONTRACT ISSUED BY A MEDICAL EXPENSE  INDEMNITY  CORPO-
 RATION,  HOSPITAL SERVICE CORPORATION OR HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATION THAT
 PROVIDES MEDICAL, MAJOR MEDICAL, OR SIMILAR COMPREHENSIVE-TYPE  COVERAGE
 SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR ELECTROLYSIS PROCEDURES TO STOP THE GROWTH OF
 HAIR,  WHEN DETERMINED MEDICALLY NECESSARY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
 INSTANCES NECESSARY FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING TREATMENT.
   (2) COVERAGE PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION MAY BE SUBJECT  TO  ANNUAL
 DEDUCTIBLES  AND  CO-INSURANCE  AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE SUPERINTEN-
 DENT.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a law and shall apply to any policy issued, renewed, modi-
 fied, altered, or amended on or after such effective date.

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Senate Bill S7304

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7304

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Sponsored By

Jessica Scarcella-Spanton

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S7304 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments