NY State Senate Bill 2015-S2955A

Senate Bill S2955A

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Authorizes health insurance reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists providing anesthesia services

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 22, 2016	print number 2955a
Feb 22, 2016	amend and recommit to insurance
Jan 06, 2016	referred to insurance
Jan 30, 2015	referred to insurance

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

co-Sponsors

2015-S2955 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7722
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S6168
2013-2014: S903
2017-2018: S1465, A115
2019-2020: A176
2021-2022: A1240

2015-S2955 - Summary

Authorizes health insurance reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists providing anesthesia services.

2015-S2955 - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S2955

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to
authorizing health insurance reimbursement for certified registered
nurse anesthetists providing anesthesia services

PURPOSE:

Allows for certified registered nurse anesthetists to be eligible for
reimbursement under any policy which provides coverage for anesthesia
services at the discretion of the insurer.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 defines the term certified registered nurse anesthetist
(CRNA) and amends section 3216 of the insurance law to permit CRNA
reimbursement eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage
for anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.
Section 2 defines the term CRNA and amends section 3221 of the
insurance law by adding a new paragraph to permit CRNA reimbursement
eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage for
anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.
Section 3 defines the term CRNA and amends section 4303 of the
insurance law by adding a new subsection to permit CRNA reimbursement
eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage for
anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.

Section 4 is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are masters prepared
nurses who undergo rigorous educational programming in order to obtain
certification. Eligibility for certification includes clinical
experience and training, as well as a passing grade on the national
certified registered nurse anesthetists' exam. CRNAs provide safe and
cost effective anesthesia services to patients. In rural and
underserved healthcare areas, CRNAs are often the primary providers of
anesthesia services, rendering this nursing specialty absolutely
critical by ensuring patient access to affordable, quality care.
However, without the ability to apply for health insurance coverage,
CRNAs are not assured reimbursement for their service. Under the
current law, a patient's health insurance is not required to cover
anesthesia services provided by a certified registered nurse
anesthetist, even if those services are otherwise covered if performed
by another healthcare professional. This imposes extreme financial
inequities to CRNAs and significant disincentives on the profession.
The disparity is further exacerbated in rural and poor economic areas
that most benefit from CRNA services.

CRNAs provide the safest level of patient care at the lowest patient
and the health care system costs, yet reimbursement for their services
is often proscribed. This bill seeks to remedy this inequality by
providing insurance companies the opportunity to include coverage for
anesthesia services performed by CRNAs. In 2010, Nursing Economics
reported that patient outcome is the same when care is administered by
CRNAs as compared to anesthesiologists.  Furthermore, the
publication's study revealed that CRNA independent delivery of


anesthesia services is the least costly method of providing anesthesia
and also generates the greatest net revenue. The enactment of bill
will ensure that these extremely qualified nurses are able provide the
necessary services to the populations that need them most. In order to
ensure these services continue it is imperative that CRNAs have the
ability to be reimbursed, thus is it imperative that this bill pass.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.6168A of 2011-2012;
S.903A of 2013-2014

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect January 1, 2017 and shall apply to policies
and contracts issues, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or
after such effective date

2015-S2955 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2955

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 30, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance

AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in  relation  to  authorizing  health
  insurance  reimbursement  for  certified registered nurse anesthetists
  providing anesthesia services

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Paragraphs 27 and 28 of subsection (i) of section 3216 of
the insurance law, paragraph 27 as added by chapter 536 of the  laws  of
2010  and  paragraph 28 as added by chapter 589 of the laws of 2011, are
renumbered paragraphs 32 and 33 respectively and a new paragraph  34  is
added to read as follows:
  (34) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A  CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSE-
MENT UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR  ANESTHESIA
SERVICES.    PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE AN INSURER TO REIMBURSE  BOTH  A  PHYSICIAN  AND  A
CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE SAME ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST"  AS
USED  IN  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON WHO HAS SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES  IN  A
PROGRAM  REGISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR IN A PROGRAM
ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION
OR  DETERMINED  BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S 2. Subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new paragraph 19 to read as follows:
  (19) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A  CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSE-
MENT UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR  ANESTHESIA

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02763-02-5

S. 2955                             2

SERVICES.    PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE AN INSURER TO REIMBURSE  BOTH  A  PHYSICIAN  AND  A
CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE SAME ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY  SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST" AS
USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON  WHO  HAS  SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED  EDUCATIONAL  PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES IN A
PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR  IN  A  PROGRAM
ACCREDITED  BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OR DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE  EQUIVALENT;  AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subsection (pp) to read as follows:
  (PP) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A  CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSE-
MENT UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR  ANESTHESIA
SERVICES.    PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE AN INSURER TO REIMBURSE  BOTH  A  PHYSICIAN  AND  A
CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE SAME ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST"  AS
USED  IN  THIS  SUBSECTION  SHALL  MEAN  A PERSON WHO HAS SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES  IN  A
PROGRAM  REGISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR IN A PROGRAM
ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION
OR  DETERMINED  BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S  4.  This  act  shall take effect January 1, 2017 and shall apply to
policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended  on
or after such effective date.

co-Sponsors

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7722
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S6168
2013-2014: S903
2017-2018: S1465, A115
2019-2020: A176
2021-2022: A1240

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes health insurance reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists providing anesthesia services.

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2955A

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to authorizing health
insurance reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists
providing anesthesia services

 PURPOSE :

Allows for certified registered nurse anesthetists to be eligible for
reimbursement under any policy which provides coverage for anesthesia
services at the discretion of the insurer.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 defines the term certified registered nurse anesthetist
(CRNA) and amends section 3216 of the insurance law to permit CRNA
reimbursement eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage
for anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.
Section 2 defines the term CRNA and amends section 3221 of the
insurance law by adding a new paragraph to permit CRNA reimbursement
eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage for
anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.
Section 3 defines the term CRNA and amends section 4303 of the
insurance law by adding a new subsection to permit CRNA reimbursement

eligibility under any policy which provides for coverage for
anesthesia services, pursuant to the discretion of the insurer.
Section 4 is the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are masters prepared
nurses who undergo rigorous educational programming in order to obtain
certification. Eligibility for certification includes clinical
experience and training, as well as a passing grade on the national
certified registered nurse anesthetists' exam. CRNAs provide safe and
cost effective anesthesia services to patients. In rural and
underserved healthcare areas, CRNAs are often the primary providers of
anesthesia services, rendering this nursing specialty absolutely
critical by ensuring patient access to affordable, quality care.
However, without the ability to apply for health insurance coverage,
CRNAs are not assured reimbursement for their service. Under the
current law, a patient's health insurance is not required to cover
anesthesia services provided by a certified registered nurse
anesthetist, even if those services are otherwise covered if performed
by another healthcare professional. This imposes extreme financial
inequities to CRNAs and significant disincentives on the profession.
The disparity is further exacerbated in rural and poor economic areas
that most benefit from CRNA services.

CRNAs provide the safest level of patient care at the lowest patient
and the health care system costs, yet reimbursement for their services
is often proscribed. This bill seeks to remedy this inequality by
providing insurance companies the opportunity to include coverage for
anesthesia services performed by CRNAs. In 2010, Nursing Economics
reported that patient outcome is the same when care is administered by
CRNAs as compared to anesthesiologists.  Furthermore, the
publication's study revealed that CRNA independent delivery of
anesthesia services is the least costly method of providing anesthesia
and also generates the greatest net revenue. The enactment of bill
will ensure that these extremely qualified nurses are able provide the
necessary services to the populations that need them most. In order to
ensure these services continue it is imperative that CRNAs have the
ability to be reimbursed, thus is it imperative that this bill pass.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.6168A of 2011-2012;
S.903A of 2013-2014

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect January 1, 2018 and shall apply to policies
and contracts issues, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or
after such effective date.

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 2955--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 30, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sens. RITCHIE, LATIMER -- read twice and ordered printed,
  and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Insurance  --
  recommitted  to  the  Committee on Insurance in accordance with Senate
  Rule  6,  sec.  8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT  to  amend  the insurance law, in relation to authorizing health
  insurance reimbursement for certified  registered  nurse  anesthetists
  providing anesthesia services

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Paragraphs 27 and 28 of subsection (i) of section 3216  of
the  insurance  law, paragraph 27 as added by chapter 536 of the laws of
2010 and paragraph 28 as added by chapter 589 of the laws of  2011,  are
renumbered  paragraphs  32 and 33 respectively and a new paragraph 34 is
added to read as follows:
  (34) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR  REIMBURSE-
MENT  UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR ANESTHESIA
SERVICES.   PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN  SHALL  BE
CONSTRUED  TO  REQUIRE  AN  INSURER  TO REIMBURSE BOTH A PHYSICIAN AND A
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE  SAME  ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY  SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST" AS
USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON  WHO  HAS  SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED  EDUCATIONAL  PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES IN A
PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR  IN  A  PROGRAM
ACCREDITED  BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OR DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE  EQUIVALENT;  AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S 2. Subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
adding a new paragraph 19 to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02763-03-6

S. 2955--A                          2

  (19) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR  REIMBURSE-
MENT  UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR ANESTHESIA
SERVICES.   PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN  SHALL  BE
CONSTRUED  TO  REQUIRE  AN  INSURER  TO REIMBURSE BOTH A PHYSICIAN AND A
CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE  SAME  ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY  SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST" AS
USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON  WHO  HAS  SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED  EDUCATIONAL  PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES IN A
PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR  IN  A  PROGRAM
ACCREDITED  BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
OR DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE  EQUIVALENT;  AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
subsection (qq) to read as follows:
  (QQ) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A  CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSE-
MENT UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR  ANESTHESIA
SERVICES.    PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE
CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE AN INSURER TO REIMBURSE  BOTH  A  PHYSICIAN  AND  A
CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE SAME ANESTHE-
SIOLOGY SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST"  AS
USED  IN  THIS  SUBSECTION  SHALL  MEAN  A PERSON WHO HAS SATISFACTORILY
COMPLETED EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES  IN  A
PROGRAM  REGISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR IN A PROGRAM
ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION
OR  DETERMINED  BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
  S  4.  This  act  shall take effect January 1, 2018 and shall apply to
policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended  on
or after such effective date.

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Senate Bill S2955A

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Sponsored By

Patty Ritchie

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

George Latimer

2015-S2955 - Details

2015-S2955 - Summary

2015-S2955 - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2955 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

George Latimer

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Details

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2015-S2955A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments