NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1789

Senate Bill S1789

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires certain private insurance plans to reimburse for services provided by child advocacy centers

download bill text pdf

Current 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
Jan 13, 2025	referred to insurance

2025-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3032
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3216, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7878, A6753

2025-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires private insurance plans which provide for reimbursement for psychiatric or psychological services or for diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions to include reimbursement for services provided by child advocacy centers.

2025-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1789

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring certain
private insurance plans to reimburse for services provided by child
advocacy centers

 
PURPOSE:

To require private insurance plans to reimburse for services provided by
child advocacy centers

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:,

Section 1 amends paragraph 4 of Section 3216(i) of the Insurance Law, as
amended by Section 1 of subpart A of part BB of chapter 57 of the laws
of 2019, by requiring insurance policies that provide reimbursement for
mental health diagnoses and treatment to provide reimbursement for these
services as provided by OCFS recognized child advocacy centers.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Children's Advocacy Centers ("CACs") are child-focused facilities that
help abused children heal by coordinating the investigation and treat-
ment of child sexual abuse and providing children and families access to
long-term advocacy and healthcare. Without a CAC, a child may end up
having to tell the worst experience of their life repeatedly, to
doctors, police, lawyers, therapists, investigators, judges, and others.
They may not get the help they need to heal once the investigation is
over. At the CAC, the child tells what happened to them once to a
trained professional.

Children then receive various services and treatments from numerous
professionals, including physical and mental health providers. These
medical services are currently not reimbursable by health insurance.
Allowing reimbursements for these services will provide additional
sustainable and necessary funding and is crucial to the survival of
these amazing child advocacy centers.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S7878 / A6753

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all policies
and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after
such date.

2025-S1789 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1789
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- 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 requiring certain
   private insurance plans to reimburse for services  provided  by  child
   advocacy centers

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph 4 of subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insur-
 ance law, as amended by section 1 of subpart A of part BB of chapter  57
 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   (4)  (A)  If  a  policy  provides for reimbursement for psychiatric or
 psychological services or for diagnosis and treatment of  mental  health
 conditions  however defined in the policy, the insured shall be entitled
 to reimbursement for  such  services,  diagnosis  or  treatment  whether
 performed  by  a  physician,  psychiatrist,  a  certified and registered
 psychologist, or a nurse practitioner when  the  services  rendered  are
 within the lawful scope of their practice.
   (B)  (I)  EVERY  POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR DELIVERY IN THIS STATE
 WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  REIMBURSEMENT  FOR  PSYCHIATRIC  OR  PSYCHOLOGICAL
 SERVICES  OR  FOR  DIAGNOSIS  AND  TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS
 SHALL ALSO INCLUDE REIMBURSEMENT FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY CHILD ADVOCACY
 CENTERS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR HUNDRED  TWENTY-THREE-A  OF
 THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
   (II)  REIMBURSEMENT  UNDER THIS SUBPARAGRAPH MAY BE LIMITED TO FACILI-
 TIES IN NEW YORK STATE THAT ARE LICENSED, CERTIFIED OR OTHERWISE AUTHOR-
 IZED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  all
 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on
 or after such date.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04380-01-5

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