NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6551

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
Mar 17, 2025	referred to insurance

co-Sponsors

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6561
Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Includes image-guided biopsies under mandatory insurance coverage for breast cancer screening.

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6551

SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to including image-guided
biopsies under certain insurance coverage for breast cancer screening

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would require coverage for image-guided breast biopsies.
Image-guided breast biopsies confirm the presence or absence of malig-
nant tissue and are used to guide treatment if necessary.  Patient out-
of-pocket costs for image-guided breast biopsy can run in the thousands
of dollars depending on site-of-service, making cost a barrier to access
and timely diagnosis. Access to cancer screening and treatment should
not be reliant upon a patient's ò ability to pay for these biopsies.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 3216 of the insurance law.

Section 2 amends section 3221 of the insurance law.

Section 3 amends section 4303 of the insurance law.

Section 4 amends section 3216 of the insurance law.

Section 5 amends section 3221 of the insurance law.

Section 6 amends section 4303 of the insurance law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of cancer.
Every year, over 16,700 New Yorkers are diagnosed with breast cancer,
and about 2,500 die from the disease. It is estimated that one in eight
women will develop breast cancer during her life.

Breast cancer is also one of the most treatable cancers if caught early.
There has been a more than 40% reduction in mortality from breast cancer
since the United States initiated widespread screening mammography in
the late 1980s. It is essential to find breast cancer early, at its most
curable stages, and be able to act on these findings. Image-guided biop-
sies are crucial in discovering and identifying treatment paths forward.

Breast cancer disproportionately affects people of color, imposing a
heavier burden on communities already facing systemic health dispari-
ties. African American and Hispanic women are more likely to be diag-
nosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer at later stages, leading to
poorer outcomes compared to their white counterparts. Factors such as
limited access to healthcare, lower rates of screening and early
detection, socioeconomic inequalities, and cultural barriers contribute
to this disparity. Moreover, once diagnosed, people of color often face
additional challenges in accessing high-quality treatment and support
services.

Addressing these disparities requires targeted efforts to improve
healthcare access, raise awareness, and provide culturally competent
care to ensure equitable outcomes for all individuals affected by breast
cancer.

By expanding coverage for image-guided breast biopsy, this bill will
ensure that individuals from all backgrounds have access to the lifesav-
ing screenings and procedures they need. This bill will not only save
lives but also reduce health disparities and promote health equity in
our state.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026 and shall apply to all
policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on
or after such date.

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6551
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 17, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  BAILEY -- 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 image-guided
   biopsies under certain insurance coverage for breast cancer screening
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Item (iv) 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:
   (iv) upon the recommendation of a physician, screening and  diagnostic
 imaging,  including  diagnostic  mammograms,  breast ultrasounds, IMAGE-
 GUIDED BREAST BIOPSIES, or magnetic resonance  imaging,  recommended  by
 nationally  recognized clinical practice guidelines for the detection of
 breast cancer. For the purposes of  this  item,  "nationally  recognized
 clinical  practice  guidelines"  means  evidence-based clinical practice
 guidelines informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment
 of the benefits, and risks of alternative care options intended to opti-
 mize patient care developed  by  independent  organizations  or  medical
 professional societies utilizing a transparent methodology and reporting
 structure and with a conflict of interest policy.
   § 2. Item (v) 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:
   (v)  upon  the recommendation of a physician, screening and diagnostic
 imaging, including diagnostic  mammograms,  breast  ultrasounds,  IMAGE-
 GUIDED  BREAST  BIOPSIES,  or magnetic resonance imaging, recommended by
 nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines for the detection  of
 breast  cancer.  For  the  purposes of this item, "nationally recognized
 clinical practice guidelines"  means  evidence-based  clinical  practice
 guidelines informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment
 of the benefits, and risks of alternative care options intended to opti-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10190-04-5

 S. 6551                             2
 
 mize  patient  care  developed  by  independent organizations or medical
 professional societies utilizing a transparent methodology and reporting
 structure and with a conflict of interest policy.
   § 3. Subparagraph (E) 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:
   (E) upon the recommendation of a physician, screening  and  diagnostic
 imaging,  including  diagnostic  mammograms,  breast ultrasounds, IMAGE-
 GUIDED BREAST BIOPSIES, or magnetic resonance  imaging,  recommended  by
 nationally  recognized clinical practice guidelines for the detection of
 breast cancer. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "nationally recog-
 nized clinical practice guidelines" means evidence-based clinical  prac-
 tice  guidelines  informed  by  a  systematic  review of evidence and an
 assessment of the  benefits,  and  risks  of  alternative  care  options
 intended to optimize patient care developed by independent organizations
 or  medical  professional  societies utilizing a transparent methodology
 and reporting structure and with a conflict of interest policy; and
   § 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026 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 this act
 shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as such  chap-
 ter of the laws of 2024 takes effect.

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Senate Bill S6551

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6551

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Jamaal T. Bailey

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Insurance Committee

co-Sponsors

Cordell Cleare

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6551 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments