Specifies that professional liability insurance insurers cannot deny coverage or increase rates solely based on legal use or prescription of certain gender-affirming care-related drugs; prescribes procedures for warrants issued in other jurisdictions for electronic data related to legally protected health activities; provides for additional procedural methods for protection of legally protected health activities.
Establishes the New York dignity in pregnancy and childbirth act; requires hospitals and other facilities that provide perinatal care to implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all health care providers involved in the perinatal care of patients within those facilities; requires the department of health to publish reports on maternal morbidity and pregnancy related deaths.
This bill requires New York residential health care facilities to provide residents and their families with a separate document during the intake process. The document must include clear instructions on how to look up facility complaints, inspections, enforcement actions, and penalties, along with direct links to the state nursing home profiles website and the federal Nursing Home Compare website. It also mandates disclosure of the facility's ownership structure (including board members and LLC details) and major contractors handling staffing, food, and linen services. This directly affects all residential health care facilities and their residents/families by increasing transparency about facility oversight and operations.
Provides for the protection of health information; establishes requirements for communications to individuals about their health information; requires either written consent or a designated necessary purpose for the processing of an individual's health information.
This bill requires health insurers in New York to cover speech therapy for stuttering, directly affecting people with stuttering who need this treatment. Insurers must cover all costs for therapy (including both habilitative and rehabilitative treatment) when recommended by a physician, with no limits on the number of visits or duration. Coverage may be denied only if therapy is already provided through school-based education plans (like IEPs), but insurers must still cover supplemental therapy outside of school settings when a physician refers the patient. The law applies to all individual, group, and health service corporation insurance policies issued or renewed after its effective date.
Provides liability protections for health care providers who issue vaccines so long as such vaccination does not arise out of willful misconduct or gross negligence.
This bill mandates a state study to examine how hospitals and birthing centers integrate doula care into maternal health services. It requires the health department to identify existing "doula-friendly" facilities, analyze successful programs in New York and other states, and develop recommendations for standardized practices - such as visitor status for doulas, inclusion in birth processes, and data collection. The study will report findings and best practices to the governor and legislature by December 2027. This bill directly affects healthcare facilities, doulas, and maternal health systems by laying groundwork for potential future policy changes, but does not create new laws or funding.
Provides for enrollment of eligible incarcerated persons in the medical assistance for needy persons program; provides for enrollment of incarcerated individuals in other medical assistance programs, where eligible.
This bill requires large group health insurance plans in New York to cover acupuncture services when prescribed by qualified healthcare providers (as defined under Education Law §8211). It applies to plans covering physician office services or comprehensive medical coverage, mandating coverage for acupuncture treatments but allowing reasonable cost-sharing like deductibles or co-pays. The law does not require full coverage without cost-sharing, only that plans include acupuncture as a covered service under specified conditions. It affects insurers offering large group plans and patients relying on such coverage for acupuncture treatments. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment for new or renewed policies.
Prohibits approved organizations providing coverage under the child health insurance plan from discriminating against health care providers which do not participate in the organization's health care network.