Bill Text: NY A00670 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Bill 670 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

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 (Democrat 26-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-06 - tabled [A00670 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00670-Introduced.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           670
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee 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  (l)  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.  Nothing herein shall be
    14  construed  to  modify or expand the scope of practice of a mental health
    15  counselor, marriage and family therapist,  creative  arts  therapist  or
    16  psychoanalyst  licensed  pursuant  to article one hundred sixty-three of
    17  the education law.
    18    § 2. Paragraph 1 of subsection (h) of section 4303  of  the  insurance
    19  law,  as  amended by chapter 502 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read
    20  as follows:
    21    (1) A medical expense indemnity corporation or a health service corpo-
    22  ration, which provides group, group remittance or school blanket  cover-
    23  age for physician services, shall provide as part of its contract broad-
    24  based  coverage  for  the  diagnosis and treatment of mental, nervous or
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04132-01-9

        A. 670                              2
     1  emotional disorders or ailments, however defined in  such  contract,  at
     2  least  equal  to  the  coverage provided for other health conditions and
     3  shall include: benefits for outpatient care provided by  a  psychiatrist
     4  or  psychologist  licensed to practice in this state, or a mental health
     5  counselor, marriage and family therapist,  creative  arts  therapist  or
     6  psychoanalyst  licensed  pursuant  to article one hundred sixty-three of
     7  the education law, or a licensed clinical social worker  who  meets  the
     8  requirements of subsection (n) of this section, or a professional corpo-
     9  ration  or  university faculty practice corporation thereof, which bene-
    10  fits may be limited to not less than twenty visits in any contract year,
    11  plan year or calendar year. Such coverage may be provided on a  contract
    12  year,  plan year or calendar year basis and shall be consistent with the
    13  provision of other benefits under the contract.  Such  coverage  may  be
    14  subject  to annual deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance as may be deemed
    15  appropriate by the superintendent and shall  be  consistent  with  those
    16  imposed  on  other  benefits  under the contract. In the event the group
    17  remittance group or contract holder is provided coverage provided  under
    18  this paragraph and under subparagraph (B) of paragraph one of subsection
    19  (g) of this section from the same health service corporation, or under a
    20  contract  which  is  jointly  underwritten  by two health service corpo-
    21  rations or by a health service corporation and a medical expense  indem-
    22  nity  corporation,  the  aggregate  of the benefits for out-patient care
    23  obtained under subparagraph (B) of paragraph one of  subsection  (g)  of
    24  this  section  and this paragraph may be limited to not less than twenty
    25  visits in any contract year, plan year or calendar year.  Nothing herein
    26  shall be construed to modify or expand the scope of practice of a mental
    27  health counselor, marriage and family therapist, creative arts therapist
    28  or psychoanalyst licensed pursuant to article one hundred sixty-three of
    29  the education law.
    30    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
    31  ing  the  date  on  which  it shall have become a law and shall apply to
    32  policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended  on
    33  or after such effective date.