Healthcare

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 2037: Requires insurance companies to provide at least ninety days of rehabilitation services to an insured upon a doctor's prescription

This bill requires insurance companies to cover at least 90 days of rehabilitation services at a facility when a doctor prescribes it. It directly affects insured individuals needing post-illness or injury rehabilitation, ensuring they receive extended coverage without arbitrary limits. The key provision mandates that new or renewed insurance policies include this 90-day coverage, contingent on a doctor's referral. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment and applies to policies issued after that date.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 90-day rehab coverage upon doctor's prescription, expanding insurance benefits and improving patient access to rehabilitation services.95% confidence

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2080: Relates to assaults on medical providers and employees and volunteers of hospitals

S 2080 expands New York's assault law to protect more healthcare workers and hospital volunteers, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and certified nursing assistants, when they are performing their duties. It also extends these protections to transit workers like bus drivers, train operators, and station cleaners during official duties. The bill amends two sections of the penal law (subdivisions 3 and 11 of section 120.05) to add these new categories to the list of protected individuals. This change directly affects medical and transit workers by making it a crime to assault them while on duty, strengthening legal safeguards for essential frontline staff.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands assault law protections to healthcare workers and transit employees, strengthening legal safeguards under criminal justice framework.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly expands legal protections for healthcare workers (nurses, NPs, CNAs) and hospital volunteers, directly strengthening safety for medical professionals in healthcare settings.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands assault law to protect healthcare/transit workers during duties, directly enhancing workplace safety protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill explicitly extends assault protections to transit workers (bus/train operators) during duties, enhancing transportation worker safety as a direct provision.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Healthcare Workforce Hospitals Public Transit

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4517: Relates to establishing a program of health care quality innovation and improvement through home care

This bill creates a state-funded program to improve healthcare quality in home care settings. It provides grants or supplemental payments to certified home health agencies, long-term home care programs, and managed care plans that partner with home care providers. The program supports specific quality improvements like falls prevention, care coordination with hospitals, technology integration for better patient monitoring, staff training, and evidence-based practices. These initiatives aim to enhance patient outcomes, reduce health disparities, and align home care with broader healthcare systems. The program requires the health commissioner to establish application and scoring processes with input from home care providers and managed care plans.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes state-funded grants for home care quality improvements including falls prevention, care coordination, and staff training, directly advancing healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly funds 'technology integration for better patient monitoring' as a quality improvement initiative in home care programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jun 10, 2025

S 7129: Relates to veterans health care

Relates to veterans' health care; creates a veteran health care review to ensure veterans and their families have access to health and mental health treatment, including for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, military sexual trauma, reproductive and mental health conditions, and suicide prevention.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates veteran health care review to ensure access to mental health treatment, PTSD care, and suicide prevention services, advancing healthcare access for veterans.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill creates a veteran health care review to ensure access to mental health, PTSD, and suicide prevention treatment, directly advancing healthcare access for veterans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Veteran Healthcare Veteran Housing Veteran Mental Health

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6937: Limits the substitution of abuse-deterrent analgesic opioid drug products for analgesic opioids lacking such technology

This bill requires health insurance plans to cover at least one abuse-deterrent opioid pain medication for each active ingredient used to treat pain. It ensures patients pay no more for these abuse-deterrent options than for non-abuse-deterrent opioids (e.g., same copay level), and prohibits insurers from increasing patient costs or creating barriers to access these medications. The law also prevents prior authorization rules from forcing patients to try non-abuse-deterrent opioids first to get access to abuse-deterrent versions. It directly affects patients prescribed opioid pain medications and all health insurance plans operating in New York. The policy aims to improve access to medications designed to reduce opioid misuse without increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for abuse-deterrent opioids at same cost as non-abuse-deterrent options, improving patient access to safer pain management without financial barriers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs Substance Abuse

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7784: Includes implantable infusion pumps for chronic non-cancer pain management as standard coverage for medical assistance

This bill requires medical assistance programs to cover implantable infusion pumps for chronic non-cancer pain management as a standard benefit. It adds these pumps - devices that deliver pain medication directly to the spinal cord - to the list of mandatory covered treatments under social services law. The change would directly affect medical assistance recipients with qualifying chronic pain conditions who currently lack guaranteed access to this treatment option. The law would take effect on July 1, 2025, if passed.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires mandatory coverage for implantable pumps, expanding access to chronic pain treatment under medical assistance programs95% confidence

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Apr 3, 2025

S 7166: Authorizes the presence of epinephrine auto-injector devices on pre-school premises

This bill allows preschools to keep epinephrine auto-injector devices (for severe allergic reactions) on-site. It directly affects preschool facilities and their staff by expanding existing public health law to explicitly include preschools in the list of authorized locations for these devices. The key change adds "pre-school facilities" to the current list of places permitted to have such emergency allergy equipment, alongside schools, camps, and other childcare settings. This makes it easier for preschools to quickly access life-saving treatment during allergic emergencies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands public health access by requiring preschools to maintain epinephrine auto-injectors for allergic emergencies, directly improving emergency care availability in childcare settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly May 20, 2026

A 3789: Relates to utilization review program standards and pre-authorization for certain health care services

Relates to utilization review program standards; requires use of evidence-based and peer reviewed clinical review criteria; relates to prescription drug formulary changes and pre-authorization for certain health care services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires evidence-based clinical criteria for utilization reviews and pre-authorization, reducing arbitrary denials and improving access to medically necessary care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6034: Requires public hospitals to establish auto-immune disease treatment centers

Requires public hospitals to establish auto-immune disease treatment centers; authorizes the commissioner of health, with the assistance of the office of health equity, to make funds available to public hospitals for such purpose.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill authorizes state funds for public hospital autoimmune treatment centers, directly increasing public service funding under budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates public hospitals to establish autoimmune treatment centers and authorizes health department funding, expanding specialized healthcare access and services.95% confidence

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1277: Provides for loan forgiveness for mental health nurses

This bill creates a New York State program to forgive student loans for mental health nurses who commit to working in underserved areas. It directly affects nurses who graduated from approved New York colleges, have outstanding student debt, and work as registered nurses, nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists in state-licensed mental health settings. To qualify, applicants must commit to practicing for the award duration in a Health Resources and Services Administration-defined "rural" area or in state psychiatric hospitals, addiction centers, behavioral health clinics, or county mental health programs. Eligibility is competitive, with priority for economically disadvantaged applicants, and funding is limited to available appropriations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates loan forgiveness program for mental health nurses in underserved areas, directly expanding access to mental health services and incentivizing workforce development in this critical healthcare sector.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Substance Abuse

Track