NY State Senate Bill 2019-S4571

Senate Bill S4571

Vetoed By Governor

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Directs the department of financial services to study and report upon insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - Vetoed by Governor

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

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Dec 20, 2019	vetoed memo.269 delivered to governor
Jun 18, 2019	returned to senate passed assembly ordered to third reading rules cal.363 substituted for a6146
Jun 11, 2019	referred to ways and means delivered to assembly passed senate
Jun 03, 2019	advanced to third reading
May 30, 2019	2nd report cal.
May 29, 2019	1st report cal.988
Mar 15, 2019	referred to insurance

Votes

- Jun 11, 2019 - Floor Vote
  S4571
  
  61
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 11, 2019
      
      aye (61)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Akshar
      
      Amedore
      
      Antonacci
      
      Bailey
      
      Benjamin
      
      Biaggi
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Brooks
      
      Carlucci
      
      Comrie
      
      Felder
      
      Flanagan
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gaughran
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Jacobs
      
      Jordan
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kaplan
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Lanza
      
      Little
      
      Liu
      
      Martinez
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Metzger
      
      Montgomery
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serrano
      
      Seward
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      excused (1)
      
      Serino
  May 29, 2019 - Insurance Committee Vote
  S4571
  
  10
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Insurance Committee Vote: May 29, 2019
      
      aye (10)
      
      Breslin
      
      Brooks
      
      Carlucci
      
      Kennedy
      
      Martinez
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Seward
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Serino

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2019-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6146
Law Section:: Insurance
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: A10677
2017-2018: A4863

2019-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of financial services, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to study and report upon insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease.

2019-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4571

SPONSOR: GAUGHRAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act directing the department of financial services,
in consultation with the commissioner of the department of health, to
study and report upon the adequacy of insurance coverage for the treat-
ment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To review insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease and other
tick-borne related diseases within New York State.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill provides legislative findings.

Section two of the bill directs the superintendent of the Department of
Financial Services (DFS), in consultation with the Commissioner of
Health, to review the adequacy of insurance coverage for the treatment
of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. The study will include:

*the present state of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne related diseases within New York state;

*prevailing reasons for the denial of insurance coverage for the treat-
ment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases;

*the number of insureds in need of long term care of Lyme disease and
other tick-borne related diseases;

*The number of uninsured persons in need of long term care of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne related diseases;

*coverage required by other states for treatment for long-term and
chronic Lyme disease in other states;

*specific medical conditions related to Lyme disease and other tick-
borne related diseases; and

*recommendations to ensure that there is adequate coverage for Lyme
disease, including long term care of Lyme disease, and other tick-borne
related diseases within New York state.

Section three directs the superintendent of DFS to submit a report of
the department's findings and recommendations to the governor, Temporary
President of the Senate, and Speaker of the Assembly within 120 days of
the effective date of the act.

Section four of the bill sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently, health insurance companies are not required to cover long-
term treatment for those who suffer from chronic Lyme or other tick-
borne diseases. This is devastating for many New Yorkers. Those suffer-
ing from chronic Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can experience
extreme and long term fatigue, nausea, depression, joint pain and many
other severe symptoms. Rhode Island and Connecticut have recognized the
toll these diseases take on victims by passing legislation that requires
insurance to cover these diseases. Many areas of New York suffer from
high incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, yet insurance
coverage is insufficient.  The study initiated by this legislation will
provide insight into the current state of insurance coverage as it
relates to tick-borne diseases, and recommend solutions to ensure all
New Yorkers are adequately protected.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-2018: A4863-A
2016: A10677/S7777-A

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S4571 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4571
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
 
 AN ACT directing the department of financial services,  in  consultation
   with the commissioner of the department of health, to study and report
   upon  the  adequacy  of  insurance  coverage for the treatment of Lyme
   disease and other tick-borne related diseases
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The legislature hereby finds that the increasing number of
 Lyme disease and tick-borne related diseases in  New  York  state  high-
 lights  the need to examine the current status of the adequacy of insur-
 ance coverage related to this health epidemic. Lyme disease  is  one  of
 several  tick-borne  diseases  which  result  in  extreme  and long term
 fatigue, nausea, depression, joint pain and many other severe  symptoms.
 Lyme  disease  is  the  most  common  vector-borne illness in the United
 States, and New York is one of 14 states that account for 95%  of  cases
 in  the  United  States.  According  to the New York state department of
 health, over 20,000 cases of Lyme disease were diagnosed  between  years
 2012 to 2014.  While sufferers of these tick-borne diseases require long
 term  treatment, health insurance companies have denied services related
 to necessary medical treatment.
   § 2. The superintendent of the department of  financial  services,  in
 consultation  with  the  commissioner of the department of health, shall
 review the adequacy of insurance coverage  for  the  treatment  of  Lyme
 disease  and  other tick-borne related diseases and make recommendations
 regarding any coverage limitations that may be found. Such review  shall
 include but not be limited to:
   (a)  the present state of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
 disease and other tick-borne related diseases within New York state;
   (b) prevailing reasons for the denial of insurance  coverage  for  the
 treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00470-01-9

 S. 4571                             2
 
   (c)  the  number of insureds in need of long term care of Lyme disease
 and other tick-borne related diseases;
   (d)  the number of uninsured persons in need of long term care of Lyme
 disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
   (e) coverage required by other states for treatment for long term  and
 chronic Lyme disease in other states;
   (f)  specific  medical  conditions  related  to Lyme disease and other
 tick-borne related diseases; and
   (g) recommendations to ensure that there is adequate coverage for Lyme
 disease, including long term care of Lyme disease, and other  tick-borne
 related diseases within New York state.
   § 3. Within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this act,
 the  superintendent  of  financial services shall submit a report to the
 governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the  assembly
 of the department's findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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