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. LBD05152-02-8A. 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.