BILL NUMBER: S7600

SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring annual
reports on tick-borne illnesses; and to require the superintendent of
financial services to review the status of health insurance coverage for
the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases

 
PURPOSE:

To have a real-time understanding of the state of tick-borne illnesses
in New York State by requiring the DOH to keep and report yearly statis-
tics on tick-borne illnesses and tick populations and to study the
current state of health insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme and
other tick-borne diseases in New York.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section One amends the Public Health law by adding a new section 207-b
which requires the department of health, in conjunction with the tick-
              

borne disease institute and the department of environmental conserva-
tion, to publish a report on its website that states the number of diag-
nosed cases of tick-borne illnesses, the incidence of tick-borne illness
in each county and the estimated tick population and whether that popu-
lation is expected to increase, decrease or remain constant. Section one
also requires the department of health, in conjunction with the tick-
borne disease institute and the department of environmental conservation
to annually report to the leaders of the legislature and the governor
the statistics outlined above.

Section two directs the superintendent of the Department of Financial
Services, in consultation with the commissioner of the Department of
Health, to review various provisions related to the costs and range of
insurance coverage of Lyme and other tick-borne related diseases.

Section three requires the superintendent to submit a report of the
department's findings, conclusions, and recommendations within 180 days
of the effective date of this act.

Section four states the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

As the climate crisis worsens, the risk of tick-borne infections will
only increase. When it comes to fighting these infections, especially
Lyme, timely information is critical. Despite this, most of the data New
York uses to gauge the severity of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses
is outdated and incomplete. The most recent statistics released by the
New York State Department of Health are from the years 2017-2019 already
four years out of date at the writing of this bill. In order to effec-
tively combat the spread of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses in New
York, policymakers and the public need to have accurate, up-to-date
information on the state of tick-borne illnesses.

However, fighting tick-borne illness does not end with diagnoses.
People who are afflicted with these illnesses must receive the proper
treatment. Unfortunately, many people affected by Lyme disease are not
covered for treatment by their insurance company. Lyme affects everyone
differently and, if it is not found and diagnosed immediately, it can
cause life-long complications, including death.  Because there is no
single treatment for those suffering from long-lyme, some insurance
companies will not cover treatment beyond the standard 14 days of anti-
biotics, even if a patient continues to experience symptoms.

This legislation would ensure that all New Yorkers have access to
current information on tick-borne illnesses and tick populations by
requiring the DOH to publish this information on its website and annual-
ly provide a report to the Leaders of the Legislature and the Governor.
It also directs the Superintendent of the Department of Financial
Services to review the current state of Lyme treatment coverage in New
York and provide a report to the legislature on its findings. By provid-
ing these pieces of information, New York's policymakers and the public
will have a more complete picture to aid in the prevention and complete
treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.