Directs the commissioner of health to develop a patient wellness bill of rights to inform patients of those services provided under wellness care and when such services become diagnostic and treatment services.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7432
IN SENATE
April 29, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the establishment
of a patient wellness bill of rights
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 17
2 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 17
4 PATIENT WELLNESS BILL OF RIGHTS
5 Section 1701. Patient wellness bill of rights.
6 1702. Duty to inform.
7 § 1701. Patient wellness bill of rights. The commissioner shall devel-
8 op and make available to accident and health insurers, providers and
9 patients a patient wellness bill of rights in order to make patients
10 aware of the free wellness screenings and services available pursuant to
11 the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L.111-148), as
12 amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of
13 2010 (P.L. 111-152), and to help patients avoid unexpected bills for
14 non-covered services. Such bill of rights shall include, but not be
15 limited to:
16 1. a statement describing a patient's right to certain services and
17 screenings without cost sharing, and a list of such services as well as
18 the overall purpose and nature of a wellness visit; and
19 2. a statement describing the difference between a wellness visit and
20 a physical or diagnostic visit, including notice that a wellness visit
21 may become a diagnostic visit requiring cost sharing under certain
22 circumstances accompanied by examples of situations in which a patient
23 should inquire as to whether a screening or diagnostic service is
24 covered as a free wellness visit service or whether the patient would be
25 required to pay for the service.
26 § 1702. Duty to inform. Patients receiving free wellness screenings or
27 services in an outpatient department of a general hospital, or in a
28 diagnostic and treatment center licensed under article twenty-eight of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15141-02-6
S. 7432 2
1 this chapter, or from a physician, physician assistant or nurse practi-
2 tioner providing such services shall be informed prior to the perform-
3 ance of any services that would change the nature of the visit from a
4 free wellness visit to a screening or diagnostic service that would not
5 be included within the free wellness visit and could result in cost-
6 sharing or other reimbursement from the patient.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
8 have become a law.
