Healthcare (Insurance)

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4009: Relates to covering mental illness under the healthy New York program

This bill (S 4009) requires insurers and certain health corporations to cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions under the Healthy New York program. It amends insurance law to mandate this coverage in group/school blanket policies, individual policies, and health service contracts for inpatient care or physician services. The key provision directly affects insurers, medical expense indemnity corporations, and health service corporations offering these specific plans. It ensures policyholders receiving these insurance types have access to mental health care as part of their coverage, without adding new exemptions or cost-sharing requirements. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurers to cover mental health diagnosis/treatment under Healthy New York, expanding coverage and strengthening mental health services per bill's explicit requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Insurance Mental Health

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 8136: Relates to prescription drug cost-sharing assistance

Authorizes insurance policies which provide coverage for prescription drugs where cost-sharing obligations are determined by category of prescription drugs to offer a program to insureds that utilizes rebates or discounts to lower an insured's cost-sharing for prescription drugs if the insured's cost-sharing under such program would be more favorable than the cost-sharing that would otherwise be applicable to the prescription drug.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes rebates/discounts to lower patient prescription costs under insurance, improving affordability and access to medications per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs

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died · New York · Senate Jun 1, 2026

S 6551: Includes image-guided biopsies under certain insurance coverage for breast cancer screening

This bill (S 6551) requires health insurance plans in New York to cover image-guided breast biopsies when recommended by a physician based on nationally recognized clinical guidelines. It directly affects patients seeking breast cancer screening and diagnosis, as well as insurance companies that must now include this specific procedure in mandatory coverage. The bill amends insurance law to explicitly add "image-guided breast biopsies" to the list of covered services alongside mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRI scans. Coverage applies only when the procedure aligns with evidence-based guidelines developed by independent medical organizations. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all new or renewed insurance policies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for image-guided breast biopsies per clinical guidelines, expanding diagnostic access for breast cancer screening and aligning with covered services like mammograms.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6475: Requires health insurance policies to cover comprehensive genetic screening for ovarian and prostate cancers

This bill (A 6475, the "Ana Lucia Act") requires health insurance plans to cover comprehensive genetic screening and FDA-approved biomarker testing for ovarian and prostate cancers. It mandates full coverage - without deductibles or coinsurance - when recommended by a doctor, geneticist, or genetic counselor, for both diagnosed patients and their family members. The law prohibits insurers from using genetic test results to deny coverage to family members who carry inherited mutations. This directly affects patients with ovarian or prostate cancer, their relatives, and health insurers operating under New York's insurance laws. The coverage applies to all policies issued or renewed after the bill takes effect.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates full insurance coverage for genetic screening without cost-sharing and prohibits denial of coverage based on genetic results, expanding access and protecting patient rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 609: Requires coverage for delivery through store and forward technology

Requires insurers to provide coverage for delivery through store and forward technology; requires prescription drug policies to cover the cost of contraceptive care delivered via telemedicine.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurer coverage for telemedicine delivery and contraceptive care, expanding access to healthcare services and aligning with coverage expansion indicators.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates insurer coverage for store-and-forward telemedicine, advancing tech-enabled healthcare delivery and access to digital health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs Telehealth

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 1912: Directs the department of financial services to study health insurance coverage through the Marketplace

Directs the department of financial services to study health insurance coverage through the Marketplace, including collecting data on how many people are insured, and studying the feasibility of creating programs, subsidies, and/or tax credits to help expand health care coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareDirects study to expand coverage via subsidies/tax credits, aligning with support indicators like expanding access and funding mechanisms.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Senate Feb 20, 2026

S 6650: Relates to value-based care for maternity coverage

Requires contracts for insurance and medical assistance to provide value-based care for maternity coverage; defines value-based care as an arrangement that financially rewards certain positive outcomes and financially penalizes certain negative outcomes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates value-based maternity coverage requiring positive outcome incentives, aligning with improving care quality and patient outcomes per healthcare support indicators.92% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates value-based maternity coverage in insurance contracts, expanding worker benefits and improving healthcare access for employees during maternity, aligning with employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Women's Health

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7155: Provides for health insurance coverage for nutritional care provided through licensed nutritionists

This bill would require health insurance plans to cover nutritional care provided by licensed nutritionists. Currently, insurance typically covers services from doctors or other medical professionals, but this amendment would explicitly add licensed nutritionists to the list of covered providers under state insurance law. The change would apply to all health insurance plans subject to the state's insurance regulations. It directly affects insurance companies (requiring them to provide this coverage) and patients seeking nutritional counseling from qualified professionals.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates insurance coverage for licensed nutritionist services, expanding health coverage and improving patient access to nutritional care under healthcare policies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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died · New York · Senate May 12, 2026

S 3100: Provides for coverage for the treatment of asthma

This bill (S 3100) requires most health insurance policies in New York to cover specific asthma treatments and education. It mandates coverage for asthma equipment like rescue inhalers, spacers, and nebulizers, plus school equipment for children under 19. The bill also requires coverage for certified asthma self-management education - teaching patients about proper device use, environmental triggers, and treatment - limited to medically necessary visits after diagnosis or symptom changes. Insurance plans may still apply standard deductibles/coinsurance for these benefits. The policy directly affects New Yorkers with asthma and their families, ensuring access to essential equipment and education through their insurance.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for asthma treatments, equipment, and education, expanding patient access to essential healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 2650: 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 painkiller for each active ingredient, ensuring patients can access these FDA-approved options without higher out-of-pocket costs. It prohibits insurers from forcing patients to try non-abuse-deterrent opioids first for prior authorization or coverage approval. The law mandates that cost-sharing (like copays) for abuse-deterrent opioids must match the lowest level applied to non-abuse-deterrent versions. It directly affects patients prescribed opioid painkillers and insurance plans, aiming to improve access to formulations designed to reduce misuse.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurance coverage for abuse-deterrent opioids without higher costs, improving patient access to safer pain management options.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs Substance Abuse

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