NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6862

Senate Bill S6862

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Requires health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 25, 2025	referred to insurance

2025-S6862 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Insurance
Law Section:: Insurance Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L; amd §§3 & 201, Work Comp L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S5354
2013-2014: S541
2015-2016: S653
2017-2018: S670
2019-2020: S4186
2021-2022: S3896
2023-2024: S3379

2025-S6862 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens.

2025-S6862 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6862

SPONSOR: WEBB
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the insurance law and the workers' compensation law, in
relation to coverage of long term medical care for Lyme disease and
other tick borne related pathogens

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical
care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section One will amend subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance
law by adding a new paragraph 35, which requires every insurer issuing a
policy of accident and health insurance cover all costs for the treat-
ment of Lyme disease and other tick borne pathogens.

Section Two will amend subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance

law by adding a new paragraph 21, which requires every group or blanket
policy issued that provides hospital, surgical or medical coverage cover
all costs for the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick borne patho-
gens.

Section Three will amend section 4303 of the insurance law by adding a
new subsection (ss), which requires every medical expense indemnity
corporation, hospital service corporation and health service corporation
which provides coverage for medical, surgical or major medical care
shall cover all costs for the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick
borne pathogens.

Section Four will amend paragraph 30 of subdivision 2 of section 3 of
the workers' compensation law, as renumbered by chapter 665 of the laws
of 1971, Is renumbered paragraph 31 and a new paragraph 30 is added to
include Lyme Disease as covered under workers' compensation.

Section Five will amend closing paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 3
of the workers' compensation law to reflect renumbering of paragraphs

Section Six will amend subdivision 9 of section 201 of the workers'
compensation law by adding a new paragraph C to reflect renumbering of
paragraphs.

Section Seven sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Current law does not specifically stipulate that Lyme disease and other
tick borne related pathogens be covered under individual and group
health insurance policies or workers' compensation. Lyme disease is a
life long illness that is exacerbated unless treated.  New York remains
one of the states with the highest incidence of Lyme disease. This bill
would require this disease to be covered under the aforementioned insur-
ance policies. The bill also requires that long term treatments of the
disease be covered if so recommended by a physician licensed to practice
in New York State.
Lyme disease strikes many New Yorkers 'each year. This bill ensures that
their pain and suffering is not complicated by a lack of medical cover-
age, including long term coverage, for care of the disease.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S.3379

2021-22: S.3896/A.7495

2019-2020: A.2767/S.4186 - Referred to Insurance

2017-2018: A.10621 - Referred to Insurance

2013-2014: A.4978 - Referred to Insurance

2011-2012: A.7696 - Referred to Insurance

2009-2010: A.2100 - Held for Consideration in Insurance 2007-2008:
A.1041 - Held for Consideration in Insurance 2005-2006: A.385A - Held
for Consideration in Insurance 2003-2004: A.1914A - Held for Consider-
ation in Insurance 2001-2002: A.9735 - Held for Consideration in Insur-
ance

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementa-
tion of the foregoing sections of this act on its effective date is
authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such date.

2025-S6862 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6862
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 25, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
 
 AN ACT to amend the insurance law and the workers' compensation law,  in
   relation  to  coverage  of long term medical care for Lyme disease and
   other tick borne related pathogens

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subsection  (i)  of  section 3216 of the insurance law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph 41 to read as follows:
   (41) EVERY INSURER ISSUING A POLICY OF ACCIDENT AND  HEALTH  INSURANCE
 FOR  DELIVERY  IN  THIS  STATE  SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR ALL COSTS FOR
 TREATMENT OF LYME  DISEASE  (LYME  BORRELIOSIS)  AND  OTHER  TICK  BORNE
 RELATED  PATHOGENS.  SUCH  TREATMENT  SHALL INCLUDE NOT LESS THAN THIRTY
 DAYS OF INTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, SIXTY DAYS  OF  ORAL  ANTIBIOTIC
 THERAPY,  OR BOTH, AND SHALL PROVIDE FURTHER TREATMENT IF RECOMMENDED BY
 A PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   § 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph 23 to read as follows:
   (23) EVERY GROUP OR BLANKET POLICY DELIVERED OR ISSUED FOR DELIVERY IN
 THIS STATE WHICH PROVIDES HOSPITAL, SURGICAL OR MEDICAL  COVERAGE  SHALL
 PROVIDE  COVERAGE  FOR  ALL  COSTS  FOR  TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE (LYME
 BORRELIOSIS) AND OTHER TICK  BORNE  RELATED  PATHOGENS.  SUCH  TREATMENT
 SHALL INCLUDE NOT LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS OF INTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTIC THERA-
 PY,  SIXTY  DAYS  OF ORAL ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, OR BOTH, AND SHALL PROVIDE
 FURTHER TREATMENT IF RECOMMENDED BY A  PHYSICIAN  LICENSED  TO  PRACTICE
 MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   §  3.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
 subsection (ww) to read as follows:
   (WW) EVERY MEDICAL EXPENSE  INDEMNITY  CORPORATION,  HOSPITAL  SERVICE
 CORPORATION  AND  HEALTH SERVICE CORPORATION WHICH PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR
 MEDICAL, SURGICAL OR MAJOR MEDICAL CARE SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE  FOR  ALL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09446-02-5

 S. 6862                             2
 
 COSTS  FOR  TREATMENT  OF LYME DISEASE (LYME BORRELIOSIS) AND OTHER TICK
 BORNE RELATED PATHOGENS.   SUCH TREATMENT SHALL INCLUDE  NOT  LESS  THAN
 THIRTY  DAYS OF INTRAVENOUS ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY, SIXTY DAYS OF ORAL ANTI-
 BIOTIC  THERAPY,  OR BOTH, AND SHALL PROVIDE FURTHER TREATMENT IF RECOM-
 MENDED BY A PHYSICIAN LICENSED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE IN THE STATE OF  NEW
 YORK.
   §  4.  Paragraph  30  of  subdivision  2  of section 3 of the workers'
 compensation law, as renumbered by chapter 665 of the laws of  1971,  is
 renumbered  paragraph  31  and  a  new  paragraph 30 is added to read as
 follows:
   30. LYME DISEASE                           30. ANY PROCESS INVOLVING
   (LYME BORRELIOSIS)                         OUTDOOR ACTIVITY OR
   AND OTHER TICK BORNE                       TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.
   RELATED PATHOGENS.
   § 5. The closing paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 3 of the  work-
 ers' compensation law, as amended by chapter 666 of the laws of 1971, is
 amended to read as follows:
   Nothing  in paragraph [thirty] THIRTY-ONE of this subdivision shall be
 construed to apply to  any  disability  or  death  due  to  any  disease
 described in paragraph twenty-nine of this subdivision.
   §  6. Subdivision 9 of section 201 of the workers' compensation law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph C to read as follows:
   C. "DISABILITY" ALSO INCLUDES DISABILITY CAUSED BY  OR  IN  CONNECTION
 WITH LYME DISEASE (LYME BORRELIOSIS) AND OTHER TICK BORNE RELATED PATHO-
 GENS.
   § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the  imple-
 mentation  of  this  act on its effective date are authorized to be made
 and completed on or before such effective date.

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