Provides that group health insurance policies offered in the large group market that is issued, amended, or renewed in this state shall provide coverage for corrective lenses used to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed with color vision deficiency.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
299
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 4, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing reimburse-
ment for certain corrective lenses used to correct color vision defi-
ciency
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a
2 new subsection (u) to read as follows:
3 (u) (1) Every group health insurance policy offered in the large group
4 market that is issued, amended, or renewed in this state shall provide
5 coverage for corrective lenses used to correct the sight of individuals
6 medically diagnosed with color vision deficiency.
7 (2) An insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to four
8 hundred dollars every thirty-six months for expenses related to the
9 purchase of up to one pair of corrective lenses.
10 (3) The insured person may choose corrective lenses exceeding the
11 amount of coverage required by this section and shall be liable for the
12 difference in cost. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the
13 respective principles and policies of the health insurance plan and may
14 include such policy provisions as deductibles, coinsurance, allowable
15 charge limitations, and coordination of benefits.
16 (4) For the purposes of this subsection, "corrective lenses" shall
17 mean any lens, including contact lenses, glasses or spectacles, worn in
18 front of the eye to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed
19 with color vision deficiency.
20 § 2. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new
21 subsection (uu) to read as follows:
22 (uu) (1) A group contract issued, amended, or renewed pursuant to this
23 section offered in the large group market shall provide coverage for
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02163-01-3
A. 299 2
1 corrective lenses used to correct the sight of individuals medically
2 diagnosed with color vision deficiency.
3 (2) An insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to four
4 hundred dollars every thirty-six months for expenses related to the
5 purchase of up to one pair of corrective lenses.
6 (3) The insured person may choose corrective lenses exceeding the
7 amount of coverage required by this section and shall be liable for the
8 difference in cost. Reimbursement shall be provided according to the
9 respective principles and policies of the health insurance plan and may
10 include such policy provisions as deductibles, coinsurance, allowable
11 charge limitations, and coordination of benefits.
12 (4) For the purposes of this subsection, "corrective lenses" shall
13 mean any lens, including contact lenses, glasses or spectacles, worn in
14 front of the eye to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed
15 with color vision deficiency.
16 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
17 have become a law.
