Bill Text: NY A01179 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Allows patients up to twelve visits with an occupational therapist without a referral from a physician, nurse practitioner or other health care provider; provides that the occupational therapist inform the patient of certain potential insurance issues.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-07-17 - enacting clause stricken [A01179 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A01179-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1179
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 14, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. ASHBY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Higher Education
        AN ACT to amend the education law and the insurance law, in relation  to
          allowing  patients  up to twelve visits with an occupational therapist
          without a referral from  a  physician,  nurse  practitioner  or  other
          health care provider
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 7901 of the education law, as  amended  by  chapter
     2  460 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
     3    § 7901. Definition.  1. The practice of the profession of occupational
     4  therapy is defined as the functional evaluation of the client, the plan-
     5  ning and utilization of a program of purposeful activities, the develop-
     6  ment and utilization of a treatment program,  and/or  consultation  with
     7  the  client,  family,  caregiver  or  organization  in order to restore,
     8  develop  or  maintain  adaptive  skills,  and/or  performance  abilities
     9  designed  to  achieve maximal physical, cognitive and mental functioning
    10  of the client associated with his or her activities of daily living  and
    11  daily  life  tasks.  A  treatment  program designed to restore function,
    12  shall be rendered on the prescription or referral of a physician,  nurse
    13  practitioner  or  other  health  care  provider acting within his or her
    14  scope of practice pursuant to this title,  except  as  provided  for  in
    15  subdivision  two  of  this  section.  However, nothing contained in this
    16  article shall be construed to permit any licensee hereunder to  practice
    17  medicine  or  psychology, including psychotherapy or to otherwise expand
    18  such licensee's scope of practice beyond  what  is  authorized  by  this
    19  chapter.
    20    2.  Treatment may be rendered by a licensed occupational therapist for
    21  twelve visits without a referral from a physician, nurse practitioner or
    22  other health care provider provided that:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02032-01-9

        A. 1179                             2
     1    (a) the licensed occupational  therapist  has  practiced  occupational
     2  therapy  on  a  full time basis equivalent to not less than three years;
     3  and
     4    (b)  each  occupational  therapist  licensed  pursuant to this article
     5  shall provide written notice to each patient receiving treatment  absent
     6  a  referral  from  a  physician, nurse practitioner or other health care
     7  provider that occupational therapy may not be covered by  the  patient's
     8  health care plan or insurer without such a referral and that such treat-
     9  ment  may  be a covered expense if rendered pursuant to a referral.  The
    10  occupational therapist shall keep on file with the patient's  records  a
    11  form  attesting  to the patient's notice of such advice. Such form shall
    12  be in duplicate, with one copy to be retained by the patient, signed and
    13  dated by both the occupational therapist and the patient in such form as
    14  prescribed pursuant to regulations promulgated by the commissioner.
    15    § 2. Paragraph 1 of subsection (a) of section 5102  of  the  insurance
    16  law,  as  amended by chapter 298 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read
    17  as follows:
    18    (1)  All  necessary  expenses  incurred  for:  (i)  medical,  hospital
    19  (including services rendered in compliance with article forty-one of the
    20  public health law, whether or not such services are rendered directly by
    21  a  hospital),  surgical, nursing, dental, ambulance, x-ray, prescription
    22  drug  and  prosthetic  services;  (ii)  psychiatric,  physical   therapy
    23  (provided that treatment is rendered pursuant to a referral) and occupa-
    24  tional  therapy  and rehabilitation (provided that treatment is rendered
    25  pursuant to a referral); (iii) any non-medical remedial care and  treat-
    26  ment  rendered  in  accordance with a religious method of healing recog-
    27  nized by the laws of this state; and (iv) any other professional  health
    28  services;  all  without  limitation as to time, provided that within one
    29  year after the date of the accident causing the injury it is ascertaina-
    30  ble that further expenses may be incurred as a result of the injury. For
    31  the purpose of determining basic economic loss,  the  expenses  incurred
    32  under  this  paragraph  shall  be  in accordance with the limitations of
    33  section five thousand one hundred eight of this article.
    34    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    35  it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediate-
    36  ly the department of education is  authorized  to  take  such  steps  in
    37  advance of such effective date, including the addition, amendment and/or
    38  repeal  of  any  rule  or  regulation as may be necessary, to ensure the
    39  timely implementation of the provisions of this act  on  such  effective
    40  date.
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