Healthcare

signed · New York · Senate Nov 21, 2025

S 4892: Relates to physical therapist assistants

Provides that supervision by a licensed physical therapist of a physical therapist assistant shall be continuous but shall not require the physical presence of the licensed physical therapist at the time and place where services are being performed; requires a licensed physical therapist to be available for consultation with the physical therapist assistant or the patient within a reasonable amount of time.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows flexible supervision for physical therapist assistants, improving access to physical therapy services without requiring physical presence of supervising therapists.85% confidence

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 5570: Establishes a social worker pilot program

Authorizes the commissioner of mental health to establish up to three, three-year pilot programs in community behavioral health organizations for the purposes of creating social worker pilot programs to support the ongoing retention and recruitment of licensed clinical social workers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates mental health pilot programs to recruit/retain clinical social workers, directly strengthening workforce capacity for behavioral health services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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signed · New York · Assembly Sep 26, 2025

A 7906: Clarifies the provision of donate life registration to certain insured persons

Provides that every insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery in New York which provides major medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage shall provide space on any enrollment, renewal or initial online portal process forms so that the insured or applicant for insurance shall register or decline registration in the donate life registry.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurers to include organ donor registration on forms, facilitating public health organ donation efforts without restricting coverage.90% confidence

passed both · New York · Senate Jun 3, 2026

S 5665: Includes doula awareness in the department of health's education and outreach program

Bill S 5665 establishes a doula awareness and education program within the Department of Health. This program directs the department to inform the public and healthcare providers about doulas and their benefits throughout pregnancy, delivery, and birth. The Department of Health will produce and distribute educational materials, making them available to healthcare providers for patients. These materials and the department's website will include information on doulas' role in potentially reducing mortality rates for pregnant individuals, specifically highlighting increased risks for Black pregnant individuals. The department is also required to periodically review relevant data and report on the program's implementation every three years.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill promotes maternal healthcare access by educating providers/patients on doulas' benefits, aligning with improving patient access and support services.95% confidence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 1997: Relates to analysis of data in the prescription monitoring program registry

This bill requires New York's Department of Health to periodically analyze data in the state's prescription monitoring program registry. It directs the department to identify potential violations, such as inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances, and share relevant information with appropriate agencies while maintaining detailed records of all disclosures. The law mandates that the department document specific information shared, the recipient agency, and confirm the recipient's authority to receive the data. This applies directly to the Department of Health and the agencies receiving the analyzed data. The provision modifies existing law to formalize this analytical duty and transparency requirement.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires analysis of prescription data to identify inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances, enhancing public health safety measures and preventing misuse of medications.85% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4539: Relates to tick-borne disease testing in children

This bill establishes a pilot program to test children under 18 with symptoms resembling Lyme disease or other qualifying diagnoses (like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) in Suffolk, Westchester, and Nassau counties. It requires doctors to review past medical records for patients diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis between 1975 and 1988 to assess potential Lyme disease misdiagnosis. The pilot program, funded through appropriation, authorizes approved medical labs to conduct testing to measure misdiagnosis rates and develop better diagnostic tools for children. Data from the program must be reported annually to state officials to evaluate effectiveness.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly authorizes state appropriation for medical pilot program funding, directly allocating public funds for public health initiative under budget management.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes funded pilot program for Lyme disease testing in children to address misdiagnosis, improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care through public health initiative.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7604: Establishes a direct support wage enhancement to employees that provide direct care support or any other form of treatment, to individuals with developmental disabilities

Establishes a direct support wage enhancement to employees that provide direct care support or any other form of treatment, to individuals with developmental disabilities and whose income is less than $125,000.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnhances wages for direct care workers serving developmental disability patients, strengthening healthcare workforce stability and access to care services.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides direct wage enhancement for direct care workers serving individuals with developmental disabilities earning under $125,000, directly increasing compensation for this workforce.95% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 5, 2026

S 690: Enacts the "donor conceived person protection act"

Enacts the "donor-conceived person protection act" to ensure that reproductive tissue banks, licensed by the department of health, collect and verify medical information from any donor it procures reproductive tissue from and to disseminate such information to a recipient before a recipient purchases or otherwise receives such tissue, and to donor-conceived persons, if any, when such persons turn eighteen years of age or earlier upon consent of the recipient parent or guardian; defines terms.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates disclosure of donor medical history to recipients and donor-conceived persons, protecting patient rights in reproductive healthcare by ensuring informed decisions about health risks.85% confidence

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passed both · New York · Assembly May 29, 2026

A 6484: Relates to copayment and coinsurance charged for physical and occupational therapy services

Provides that any copayment or coinsurance amount charged by an insurer to the insured for services rendered by a physical therapist or an occupational therapist shall not be more than twenty-five percent greater than the copayment or coinsurance amount imposed for an office visit to a licensed primary care physician or osteopath for the same or a similar diagnosed condition.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCaps copayments for PT/OT at 25% above primary care rates, reducing patient cost barriers for essential therapies and improving access to covered services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Primary Care

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 977: Allows withdrawals from family tuition accounts to pay for treatment of substance use disorder for the designated beneficiary

Allows withdrawals from family tuition accounts to pay for treatment of substance use disorder, including detoxification and rehabilitation for the designated beneficiary.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands health coverage by allowing tuition account funds to pay for substance use disorder treatment, directly improving access to mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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