NY State Senate Passes Liu’s Bill To Address Alarming Rise In Asian Americans Living With Undiagnosed Diabetes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Contact: Soojin Choi |347-556-6335| press@johnliusenate.com 

Albany, NY - The New York State Senate yesterday passed legislation, S634B, to address the alarming rates of undiagnosed diabetes in AAPI communities. The bill requires health insurance companies to cover diabetes screenings for patients at a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) in accordance with nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines.

Medical studies have shown that Asian Americans are more likely to develop diabetes at lower BMIs than other populations, yet current standards don’t recommend screenings until a BMI of 25. This legislation requires insurance plans to cover screenings starting at a BMI of 23 and would eliminate deductibles, copayments, and other out-of-pocket costs that often prevent early detection and timely treatment.

The bill aligns with campaigns like the “Screen at 23” campaign as well as nationally recognized recommendations from the American Diabetes Association and Centers for Disease Control, which note that current screening guidelines leave many in the AAPI community undiagnosed and vulnerable.

State Senator John Liu stated, “Diabetes is an increasingly silent killer in Asian American communities that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Lowering the BMI threshold for screening will help identify and treat at-risk individuals faster before serious damage is done and save lives. It’s time for the insurance industry to catch up with nationally recognized best practices by making these screenings accessible and free so everyone can get the care they need before complications arise.”

Assembly Member Ron Kim stated, “This represents a significant milestone in our efforts to pass this important legislation. Though diabetes may sometimes be discounted as a disease that affects Asian Americans, it has in fact been shown to negatively impact our health at an even lower BMI on average than other communities. We are thankful for our partnership with Senator Liu on this bill, and we will continue working hard to ensure its passage in the Assembly.”

Last month, Liu and Kim joined medical professionals to call for the passage of this legislation in order to address a wide variety of preventable complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss, and more.