Bill Text: NY A08943 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the department of health to publish a report on the incidence of tick-borne illnesses annually on the department's website; requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor and the leaders of the legislature; requires the superintendent of financial services to review the status of health insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases and to submit a report to the governor and the leaders of the legislature.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-05 - reported referred to ways and means [A08943 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08943-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8943

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 30, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Health

        AN  ACT  to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring annual
          reports on tick-borne illnesses; and to require the superintendent  of
          financial  services  to review the status of health insurance coverage
          for the  treatment  of  Lyme  disease  and  other  tick-borne  related
          diseases

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  section
     2  207-b to read as follows:
     3    § 207-b. Tick-borne illnesses; reports. 1. The department, in conjunc-
     4  tion  with  the tick-borne disease institute and the department of envi-
     5  ronmental conservation, shall publish a report on its website containing
     6  information related to the incidence  of  tick-borne  illnesses  in  the
     7  state.  Such report shall include, but not be limited to:
     8    (a) the number of diagnosed cases of tick-borne illnesses;
     9    (b) the incidence of tick-borne illness in each county; and
    10    (c)  the estimated tick population in the state and whether such popu-
    11  lation is expected to increase, decrease,  or  remain  constant  at  the
    12  state and county level.
    13    2.  On  or before April first annually, the department, in conjunction
    14  with the tick-borne disease institute and  the  department  of  environ-
    15  mental  conservation,  shall submit a report to the governor, the tempo-
    16  rary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the  minority
    17  leader  of  the  senate  and  the minority leader of the assembly.  Such
    18  report shall summarize the statistics required to be  reported  pursuant
    19  to subdivision one of this section for the previous year and include any
    20  other information deemed relevant to tick-borne illnesses for the coming
    21  year.
    22    §  2.  (a)  The  superintendent of financial services, in consultation
    23  with the commissioner of health,  shall  review  the  status  of  health
    24  insurance  coverage  for  the  treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-
    25  borne related diseases, and  make  recommendations  regarding  potential

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11494-02-3
        A. 8943                             2

     1  changes  to  insurance coverage requirements and parameters. Such review
     2  shall include, but not be limited to:
     3    (i)  The current range of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
     4  and other tick-borne related diseases within New York state;
     5    (ii) Reasons for insurer denial of coverage for the treatment of  Lyme
     6  and other tick-borne related diseases;
     7    (iii) Insurance coverage required by other states for the treatment of
     8  symptoms  related  to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and their esti-
     9  mated costs and payment models; and
    10    (iv) The estimated cost of expanding coverage  for  the  treatment  of
    11  symptoms related to Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases.
    12    (b)  Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this act,
    13  the superintendent of financial services shall submit a  report  to  the
    14  governor,  the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the
    15  assembly of the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the depart-
    16  ment of financial services.
    17    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.