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Assembly Bill A949

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Labor Committee

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2025-A949 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S998
Current Committee:
Senate Labor
Law Section:
Workers' Compensation Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §13-m, Work Comp L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: A10149, S9055
2023-2024: A1014, S1878

2025-A949 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system; permits one in-person visit within twelve months unless such in-person visit causes undue hardship on a patient.

2025-A949 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    949
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUNSFORD, SIMON -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to permitting
   telemedicine services for mental and behavioral  health  issues  under
   the workers' compensation system

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 13-m of the workers' compensation law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
   15. TELEHEALTH VISITS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING, TREATMENT  AND  COUN-
 SELING  BY  PSYCHIATRISTS,  PSYCHOLOGISTS  AND  LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL
 WORKERS SHALL BE PERMITTED WITH ONE IN-PERSON VISIT WITHIN TWELVE MONTHS
 OF THE FIRST VIDEO TELEHEALTH VISIT AND WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF  THE  FIRST
 AUDIO-ONLY  TELEHEALTH  VISIT  UNLESS (A) IN THE PROVIDER'S PROFESSIONAL
 JUDGMENT, AN IN-PERSON VISIT SERVICE IS LIKELY TO  CAUSE  DISRUPTION  IN
 SERVICE DELIVERY OR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO WORSEN THE PATIENT'S CONDITION,
 OR  (B)  WOULD  CREATE UNDUE HARDSHIP UPON THE PATIENT OR SUCH PATIENT'S
 FAMILY. A FINDING OF UNDUE BURDEN SHALL INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER
 TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE  IN-PERSON  VISIT  WOULD  CAUSE  UNDUE  FINANCIAL
 BURDEN OR UNREASONABLE PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISTRESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01455-01-5

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