New York A 1921: Establishes the "Safe Staffing for Hospital Care Act"

Bill Text

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A01921 Summary:

BILL NOA01921B

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S03185-A

&nbsp

SPONSORPaulin

&nbsp

COSPNSRLevenberg

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§3216, 3221 & 4303, Ins L

&nbsp

Provides outpatient insurance coverage for non-pharmacological treatments and non-opioid drugs for chronic pain.

Go to top A01921 Actions:

BILL NOA01921B

&nbsp

01/14/2025referred to insurance

05/21/2025amend (t) and recommit to insurance

05/21/2025print number 1921a

01/07/2026referred to insurance

01/23/2026amend (t) and recommit to insurance

01/23/2026print number 1921b

Go to topA01921 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA01921 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA01921 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1921--B

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 14, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN, LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to
 the Committee on Insurance -- committee discharged, bill amended,
 ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
 recommitted to the Committee on Insurance in accordance with Assembly
 Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
 reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing insurance
 coverage for non-pharmacological treatments and non-opioid drugs for
 chronic pain

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is
 2 amended by adding a new paragraph 42 to read as follows:
 3 (42) (A) Every policy that provides medical, major medical, or similar
 4 comprehensive-type coverage that provides coverage for pain shall
 5 provide outpatient coverage for a minimum of three non-pharmacological
 6 treatments of chronic pain, and a minimum of two non-opioid drugs
 7 approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the
 8 treatment of acute or chronic pain. Such non-pharmacological non-opioid
 9 treatments shall include at least one of each of the following treatment
 10 types: (i) restorative treatments such as massage therapy; (ii) behav-
 11 ioral treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy; and (iii) comple-
 12 mentary treatments such as acupuncture. Access to non-pharmacological
 13 treatments and non-opioid drugs shall be comparable to that of other
 14 covered services. Coverage shall be comparable for services provided by
 15 licensed professionals.
 16 (B) Coverage under this subsection shall not apply financial require-
 17 ments or treatment limitations to non-opioid treatment of chronic pain
 18 that are more restrictive than either of the following: the predominant
 19 financial requirements and treatment limitations applied to substantial-
 20 ly all medical benefits covered by the contract; and the financial

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD05350-06-6

 A. 1921--B 2

 1 requirements and treatment limitations applied to any opioid-based
 2 treatment of chronic pain. Coverage under this paragraph shall not
 3 disadvantage or discourage any non-opioid drug approved by the United
 4 States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of chronic
 5 or acute pain relative to any opioid drug for the treatment of chronic
 6 or acute pain, where impermissible disadvantaging or discouragement
 7 includes, without limitation: designating any such non-opioid drug as a
 8 non-preferred drug if any opioid or narcotic drug is designated as a
 9 preferred drug; or establishing more restrictive or more extensive
 10 utilization controls including, but not limited to, more restrictive or
 11 more extensive financial requirements, prior authorization, or step
 12 therapy requirements, for such non-opioid drug than the least restric-
 13 tive or extensive utilization controls applicable to any such opioid or
 14 narcotic drug.
 15 (C) For the purposes of this paragraph the following terms shall have
 16 the following meanings:
 17 (i) "financial requirement" means deductible, co-payments, co-insu-
 18 rance and out-of-pocket expenses;
 19 (ii) "predominant" means that a financial requi