Bill Text: NY A04899 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Requires insurers providing coverage of prescription drugs for opioid addiction, to provide coverage of such prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of substance abuse disorder.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-06-18 - ordered to third reading rules cal.296 [A04899 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A04899-Amended.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4899--A
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 6, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL, BRINDISI, HUNTER -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Insurance -- recommitted to the Committee
          on Insurance in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  insurance  law, in relation to requiring health
          insurers to provide coverage of opioid  addiction  medications  during
          the entire period such medications are prescribed
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216  of  the  insurance  law  is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph 34 to read as follows:
     3    (34)(A)  Every  policy that provides medical, major medical or similar
     4  comprehensive-type coverage, or coverage  for  prescription  drugs  must
     5  provide  coverage, without prior authorization or step therapy, of medi-
     6  cations and prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of substance
     7  abuse disorder suffered  by  a  covered  person  with  an  addiction  to
     8  opioids.  Such  coverage  of  medications and drugs shall continue to be
     9  provided during the entire period of time the medications and drugs  are
    10  prescribed for such treatment by an authorized prescriber.
    11    (B)  Coverage  provided  under this paragraph may be subject to annual
    12  deductibles and co-insurance as deemed appropriate by the superintendent
    13  and that are consistent with those imposed on other  benefits  within  a
    14  given policy.
    15    § 2. Subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
    16  adding a new paragraph 7-c to read as follows:
    17    (7-c)(A)  Every policy that provides medical, major medical or similar
    18  comprehensive-type coverage, or coverage  for  prescription  drugs  must
    19  provide  coverage, without prior authorization or step therapy, of medi-
    20  cations and prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of substance
    21  abuse disorder suffered  by  a  covered  person  with  an  addiction  to
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05152-02-8
        A. 4899--A                          2
     1  opioids.  Such  coverage  of  medications and drugs shall continue to be
     2  provided during the entire period of time the medications and drugs  are
     3  prescribed for such treatment by an authorized prescriber.
     4    (B)  Coverage  provided  under this paragraph may be subject to annual
     5  deductibles and co-insurance as deemed appropriate by the superintendent
     6  and that are consistent with those imposed on other  benefits  within  a
     7  given policy.
     8    §  3.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
     9  subsection (l-3) to read as follows:
    10    (l-3) Every contract that provides medical, major medical  or  similar
    11  comprehensive-type  coverage,  or  coverage  for prescription drugs must
    12  provide coverage, without prior authorization or step therapy, of  medi-
    13  cations and prescription drugs prescribed for the treatment of substance
    14  abuse  disorder  suffered  by  a  covered  person  with  an addiction to
    15  opioids. Such coverage of medications and drugs  shall  continue  to  be
    16  provided  during the entire period of time the medications and drugs are
    17  prescribed for such treatment by an authorized prescriber.
    18    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.