New York S 9649: Enacts the "Give Kids a Chance - Carter and Ray's Law"; mandates health insurance coverage for congenital anomalies

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S09649 Summary:

BILL NOS09649A

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SAME ASSAME AS A11342

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SPONSORSUTTON

&nbsp

COSPNSRADDABBO, SCARCELLA-SPANTON

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§3216, 4235, 4304 & 4305, Ins L

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Enacts the "Give Kids a Chance - Carter and Ray's Law" mandating health insurance coverage for congenital anomalies including certain reconstructive services, habilitative services, and inpatient and outpatient services.

Go to top S09649 Actions:

BILL NOS09649A

&nbsp

03/31/2026REFERRED TO INSURANCE

04/20/2026AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO INSURANCE

04/20/2026PRINT NUMBER 9649A

Go to topS09649 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS09649 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS09649 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 9649--A

 IN SENATE

 March 31, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SUTTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance -- committee
 discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
 to said committee

 AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to enacting the "Give
 Kids a Chance - Carter and Ray's Law" mandating health insurance
 coverage for congenital anomalies

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "Give Kids a Chance - Carter and Ray's Law".
 3 § 2. Subsection (a) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by
 4 adding five new paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 to read as follows:
 5 (5) "Congenital anomaly" means a medically diagnosed condition exist-
 6 ing at or from birth that is a deviation from the common structure or
 7 function of the body, whether caused by a hereditary or developmental
 8 disability or disease.
 9 (6) "Cosmetic surgery" means surgical and nonsurgical elective proce-
 10 dures that enhance and reshape structures of the body to improve appear-
 11 ance and confidence, but are not necessary to improve body structure or
 12 function.
 13 (7) "Habilitative services" means healthcare services that help an
 14 individual keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily
 15 living. Habilitative services shall include but is not limited to phys-
 16 ical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and services
 17 for people with disabilities in a variety of inpatient and/or outpatient
 18 settings.
 19 (8) "Reconstructive services" means procedures or surgery that are
 20 performed to treat structures of the body affected aesthetically or
 21 functionally by congenital anomalies, developmental abnormalities, trau-
 22 ma, infection, tumors, or disease. Reconstructive services are intended
 23 to improve function and ability, and may also be performed to achieve a
 24 more typical appearance of the affected structure.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06189-02-6

 S. 9649--A 2

 1 (9) "Deviation" means an anomaly that impairs the function of the body
 2 and includes but is not limited to the conditions of cleft lip, cleft
 3 palate, webbed fingers or toes, supernumerary toes or fingers, craniofa-
 4 cial malformations, disorders of metabolism, and other conditions that
 5 are medically diagnosed to be congenital anomalies.
 6 § 3. Paragraph 4 of subsection (c) of section 3216 of the insurance
 7 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
 8 (D) (1) For the purpose of this subparagraph, the term "treatment"
 9 includes inpatient and outpatient care and services performed to improve
 10 or restore body function, or performed to approximate a normal appear-
 11 ance, as a result of a congenital anomaly and shall not include cosmetic
 12 surgery. Inpatient and outpatient care and services shall include treat-
 13 ment to any and all missing or abnormal body parts, including teeth, the
 14 oral cavity, and their associated structures, that would otherwise be
 15 provided under the plan or coverage for any other injury and sickness,
 16 including:
 17 (i) All inpatient and outpatient reconstructive services and proce-
 18 dures;
 19 (ii) All services, procedures, and adjunctive needs,