Directs the department of financial services, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to study and report upon insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6146
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 28, 2019
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Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, CAHILL, BUCHWALD, DiPIETRO, LUPARDO,
OTIS, WOERNER, ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Insurance
AN ACT directing the department of financial services, in consultation
with the commissioner of the department of health, to study and report
upon the adequacy of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne related diseases
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The legislature hereby finds that the increasing number of
2 Lyme disease and tick-borne related diseases in New York state high-
3 lights the need to examine the current status of the adequacy of insur-
4 ance coverage related to this health epidemic. Lyme disease is one of
5 several tick-borne diseases which result in extreme and long term
6 fatigue, nausea, depression, joint pain and many other severe symptoms.
7 Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United
8 States, and New York is one of 14 states that account for 95% of cases
9 in the United States. According to the New York state department of
10 health, over 20,000 cases of Lyme disease were diagnosed between years
11 2012 to 2014. While sufferers of these tick-borne diseases require long
12 term treatment, health insurance companies have denied services related
13 to necessary medical treatment.
14 § 2. The superintendent of the department of financial services, in
15 consultation with the commissioner of the department of health, shall
16 review the adequacy of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
17 disease and other tick-borne related diseases and make recommendations
18 regarding any coverage limitations that may be found. Such review shall
19 include but not be limited to:
20 (a) the present state of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
21 disease and other tick-borne related diseases within New York state;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00470-01-9
A. 6146 2
1 (b) prevailing reasons for the denial of insurance coverage for the
2 treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
3 (c) the number of insureds in need of long term care of Lyme disease
4 and other tick-borne related diseases;
5 (d) the number of uninsured persons in need of long term care of Lyme
6 disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
7 (e) coverage required by other states for treatment for long term and
8 chronic Lyme disease in other states;
9 (f) specific medical conditions related to Lyme disease and other
10 tick-borne related diseases; and
11 (g) recommendations to ensure that there is adequate coverage for Lyme
12 disease, including long term care of Lyme disease, and other tick-borne
13 related diseases within New York state.
14 § 3. Within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this act,
15 the superintendent of financial services shall submit a report to the
16 governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly
17 of the department's findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
18 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.