Bill Text: NY S04756 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires blanket health insurance policies to provide coverage for outpatient treatment by mental health practitioners (mental health counsellors, marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists and psychoanalysts) licensed pursuant to article 163 of the education law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - REFERRED TO INSURANCE [S04756 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-S04756-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         4756
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    April 18, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  YOUNG  -- 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  health  insurance
         coverage of outpatient care provided by a mental health practitioner
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Item (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph 5 of  subsection
    2  (1)  of  section 3221 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 502 of
    3  the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (ii) where the policy provides coverage  for  physician  services,  it
    5  shall include benefits for outpatient care provided by a psychiatrist or
    6  psychologist  licensed  to  practice  in this state,  OR A MENTAL HEALTH
    7  COUNSELOR, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST,  CREATIVE  ARTS  THERAPIST  OR
    8  PSYCHOANALYST  LICENSED  PURSUANT  TO ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF
    9  THE EDUCATION LAW, OR a licensed clinical social worker  who  meets  the
   10  requirements  of  subparagraph (D) of paragraph four of this subsection,
   11  or a professional corporation or university faculty practice corporation
   12  thereof. Such benefits may be limited to not less than twenty visits  in
   13  any contract year, plan year, or calendar year.
   14    S  2.  Paragraph  1 of subsection (h) of section 4303 of the insurance
   15  law, as amended by chapter 502 of the laws of 2007, is amended  to  read
   16  as follows:
   17    (1) A medical expense indemnity corporation or a health service corpo-
   18  ration,  which provides group, group remittance or school blanket cover-
   19  age for physician services, shall provide as part of its contract broad-
   20  based coverage for the diagnosis and treatment  of  mental,  nervous  or
   21  emotional  disorders  or  ailments, however defined in such contract, at
   22  least equal to the coverage provided for  other  health  conditions  and
   23  shall  include:  benefits for outpatient care provided by a psychiatrist
   24  or psychologist licensed to practice in this state, OR A  MENTAL  HEALTH
   25  COUNSELOR,  MARRIAGE  AND  FAMILY  THERAPIST, CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIST OR
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10925-01-1
       S. 4756                             2
    1  PSYCHOANALYST LICENSED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE ONE  HUNDRED  SIXTY-THREE  OF
    2  THE  EDUCATION  LAW,  OR a licensed clinical social worker who meets the
    3  requirements of subsection (n) of this section, or a professional corpo-
    4  ration  or  university faculty practice corporation thereof, which bene-
    5  fits may be limited to not less than twenty visits in any contract year,
    6  plan year or calendar year. Such coverage may be provided on a  contract
    7  year,  plan year or calendar year basis and shall be consistent with the
    8  provision of other benefits under the contract.  Such  coverage  may  be
    9  subject  to annual deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance as may be deemed
   10  appropriate by the superintendent and shall  be  consistent  with  those
   11  imposed  on  other  benefits  under the contract. In the event the group
   12  remittance group or contract holder is provided coverage provided  under
   13  this paragraph and under subparagraph (B) of paragraph one of subsection
   14  (g) of this section from the same health service corporation, or under a
   15  contract  which  is  jointly  underwritten  by two health service corpo-
   16  rations or by a health service corporation and a medical expense  indem-
   17  nity  corporation,  the  aggregate  of the benefits for out-patient care
   18  obtained under subparagraph (B) of paragraph one of  subsection  (g)  of
   19  this  section  and this paragraph may be limited to not less than twenty
   20  visits in any contract year, plan year or calendar year.
   21    S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
   22  ing  the  date  on  which  it shall have become a law and shall apply to
   23  policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended  on
   24  or after such effective date.