NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4850

Senate Bill S4850

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Includes second degree relatives in certain criteria for breast cancer screenings to be covered under insurance plans

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - On Floor Calendar

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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 03, 2025	1st report cal.419
Feb 13, 2025	referred to insurance

Votes

- Mar 3, 2025 - Insurance Committee Vote
  S4850
  
  11
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Insurance Committee Vote: Mar 3, 2025
      
      aye (11)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Ashby
      
      Bailey
      
      Cooney
      
      Fernandez
      
      Gounardes
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      O'Mara
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Skoufis

2025-S4850 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1158
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S7785, A8387

2025-S4850 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that individuals may receive breast cancer screenings under an insurance plan when such individual has a second degree relative with a prior history of breast cancer.

2025-S4850 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4850

SPONSOR: RYAN C
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to including second
degree relatives in certain criteria for breast cancer screenings to be
covered under insurance plans

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to expand eligibility for breast cancer
screening to individuals with a second degree relative with a prior
history of breast cancer.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of this bill would require that every person insured under an
individual policy of accident and health insurance delivered or issued
for delivery in this state shall be eligible, upon the recommendation of
a physician and who has a second degree relative with a prior history of
breast cancer, for a mammogram at any age.

Section 2 of this bill would require that every person insured under a
group or blanket policy of accident and health insurance delivered or
issued for delivery in this state shall be eligible, upon the recommen-
dation of a physician and who has a second degree relative with a prior
history of breast cancer, for a mammogram at any age.

Section 3 of this bill would require that a medical expense indemnity
corporation, a hospital service corporation or a health service corpo-
ration that provides coverage for hospital, surgical or medical care
shall provide coverage for mammography screening for occult breast
cancer at any age for covered persons upon the recommendation of a
physician and who has a second degree relative with a prior history of
breast cancer

Section 4 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law and shall
apply to all policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered
or amended on or after such date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Current law, enacted in 1988 and 1989, stipulates that insurance poli-
cies covering hospital, surgical, and medical care must cover mammogra-
phy examinations to detect breast cancer in policyholders over a certain
age, under certain medical conditions, and with a family history of
breast cancer. Mammography screening is recognized as the most effective
means of detecting breast cancer in its early stages, when prospects for
treatment and recovery are greatest.  Chapter 692 of the Laws of 1988
and Chapter 417 of the Laws of 1989 were important first steps in ensur-
ing the regular, healthy screening of residents and requiring policy
coverage of critical preventative care. However, medical professionals
have continued to call for increased regular screening for policyholders
under age fifty and for those with greater risks, such as a family
history of breast cancer.


Furthermore, limiting mammography options to the first degree relative
prevents access to some policyholders; for example, if a parent of such
policyholder dies prior to receiving a breast cancer screening in a
family with a known history of breast cancer. In this situation, if such
policyholder had a second degree relative with breast cancer, they may
not be able to utilize care services simply by the happenstance of an
untimely death. Greater access to this essential early detection test
would provide policyholders with better health outcomes. This bill would
expand eligibility for breast cancer screening to individuals with a
second degree relative with a prior history of breast cancer.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: 57784 - (Mannion) - Passed Senate.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law and shall apply to all policies and contracts issued,
renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such date.

2025-S4850 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4850
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. C. RYAN -- 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  including  second
   degree  relatives  in certain criteria for breast cancer screenings to
   be covered under insurance plans

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Item (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph 11 of subsection
 (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter  414  of
 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   (i)  upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may be
 provided by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons  having
 a  prior  history  of breast cancer or who have a first OR SECOND degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   § 1-a. Item (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph 11 of subsection  (i)
 of  section  3216 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 424 of the
 laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   (i) upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may  be
 provided  by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons having
 a prior history of breast cancer or who have a first  OR  SECOND  degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   § 2. Item (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph 11 of subsection (l) of
 section 3221 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 143 of the laws
 of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   (i)  upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may be
 provided by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons  having
 a  prior  history  of breast cancer or who have a first OR SECOND degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   § 2-a. Item (i) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph 11 of subsection  (l)
 of  section  3221 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 424 of the
 laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03149-02-5

 S. 4850                             2
 
   (i) upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may  be
 provided  by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons having
 a prior history of breast cancer or who have a first  OR  SECOND  degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   § 3. Subparagraph (A) of paragraph 1 of subsection (p) of section 4303
 of  the insurance law, as amended by chapter 414 of the laws of 2017, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (A) upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may  be
 provided  by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons having
 a prior history of breast cancer or who have a first  OR  SECOND  degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   §  3-a.   Subparagraph (A) of paragraph 1 of subsection (p) of section
 4303 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter  424  of  the  laws  of
 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   (A)  upon the recommendation of a physician, a mammogram, which may be
 provided by breast tomosynthesis, at any age for covered persons  having
 a  prior  history  of breast cancer or who have a first OR SECOND degree
 relative with a prior history of breast cancer;
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth  day  after  it  shall
 have  become a law and shall apply to all policies and contracts issued,
 renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such  date;  provided,
 however,  that  if  chapter 424 of the laws of 2024 shall not have taken
 effect on or before such date then sections one-a, two-a and three-a  of
 this  act  shall  take effect on the same date and in the same manner as
 such chapter of the laws of 2024 takes effect.

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