Establishes the "tick borne illness treatment and education act"; requires health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1718
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the insurance 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. To
increase public awareness and community outreach for prevention of tick
bites and treatment of tick borne illness symptoms. To provide funding
and encourage charitable donations for research and efforts to raise
public awareness of tick borne illness.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 titles the bill the "Tick borne illness treatment and educa-
tion act of 2013 (The TickBITE Act)."
Section 2 adds Lyme disease to those ailments covered by insurance law
by amending subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law by
adding a new paragraph 34.
Section 3 amends subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law by
adding a new paragraph 22.
Section 4 amends section 4303 of the insurance law by adding a new
subsection (00).
Section 5 amends the tax law by adding new section 209-n, to allow for
taxpayer gifts for tick borne illness, research and education.•
Section 6 amends the tax law by adding new section 630-e.
Section 7 amends the state finance law by adding new section 97-cc to
establish the "tick borne illness research, detection and education
fund."
Section 8 sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Insurance law currently fails to cover tick borne illness. The spread of
Lyme Disease in the Hudson Valley and other parts of New York State has
been growing steadily in the past few years.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law provided, however, that effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made on or before such effective date.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1718
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, BUTTENSCHON, LUPARDO, ANGELINO, McDONOUGH
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance 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:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "tick borne
2 illness treatment and education act of 2025".
3 § 2. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by
4 adding a new paragraph 40 to read as follows:
5 (40) Every insurer issuing a policy of accident and health insurance
6 for delivery in this state shall provide coverage for all costs for
7 treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) and other tick borne
8 related pathogens. Such treatment may include intravenous antibiotic
9 therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any other treatment, or any combi-
10 nation of treatments, provided such treatment is recommended by a physi-
11 cian licensed to practice medicine in the state of New York.
12 § 3. Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
13 adding a new paragraph 24 to read as follows:
14 (24) Every group or blanket policy delivered or issued for delivery in
15 this state which provides hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall
16 provide coverage for all costs for treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme
17 borreliosis) and other tick borne related pathogens. Such treatment may
18 include intravenous antibiotic therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any
19 other treatment, or any combination of treatments, provided such treat-
20 ment is recommended by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the
21 state of New York.
22 § 4. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
23 subsection (ww) to read as follows:
24 (ww) Every medical expense indemnity corporation, hospital service
25 corporation and health service corporation which provides coverage for
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03697-01-5
A. 1718 2
1 medical, surgical or major medical care shall provide coverage for all
2 costs for treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) and other tick
3 borne related pathogens. Such treatment may include intravenous antibi-
4 otic therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any other treatment, or any
5 combination of treatments, provided such treatment is recommended by a
6 physician licensed to practice medicine in the state of New York.
7 § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
8 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
9 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
10 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
11 completed on or before such effective date.
