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S4229Senate2009-2010 SessionSame asA2871

Requires medical care insurance policies to include coverage for the care of Alzheimer's and related disease patients upon request

Sponsor Diane J. SavinoSD-23Affects Finance
Status
In Senate Committee
Insurance
Impact
Pending
Passage
Pending

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Insurance

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Who cares

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Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Diane J. Savino

Senator · Senate District 23

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Referred to insurance
  2. Referred to insurance

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A2871Assembly

Requires medical care insurance policies to include coverage for the care of Alzheimer's and related disease patients upon request

In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Helene Weinstein

Full text

The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to coverage for the care of Alzheimer's and related disease patients

Purpose of the bill

To require all health insurance providers of New York State to make available, when requested by a contract holder, coverage for a designated group of non-health related services provided to Alzheimer's or related diseases. These services are custodial in nature, and include crisis intervention, adult day care, home care, and respite care.

Summary of specific provisions

This bill adds insurance coverage for non-health related services required by Alzheimer's and related disease victims. Under current Insurance Law there is no provision for that group of services.

Subsection (i) of §3216 of the Insurance Law is amended by adding a new paragraph eleven. Subsection (1) of §3221 of such law is amended by adding a new paragraph twelve.

Justification

Alzheimer's disease is a progressively degenerative neurological disorder with no known cause or cure. The course of this disease as well as other dementias usually extends over a number of years, necessitating the use of many non-health related services, such as adult day care, home care, and respite care. Because this type of care is considered custodial, victims of Alzheimer's and related dementias do not have access to the traditional funding mechanisms for health care.

Medicare and Medicaid are currently the major sources of financing for both institutional and community based care. Because Medicare does not cover services needed for long-term chronic care, and Medicaid requires that an individual be financially destitute in order to be eligible for coverage, Alzheimer's victims are denied reimbursement for their much needed care. The private/commercial insurers of New York State currently require that care be of a rehabilitative nature further eliminating access to reimbursement for this group of patients. It is time for New York State to require insurers to provide this coverage.

Legislative history

2007-08: A.3085/S.4128 Referred to the Committee on Insurance

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

To be determined.

Effective date

One hundred twenty days after it shall have become a law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.