Requires certain health insurance policies and contracts to provide coverage for human leukocyte antigen testing for use in tissue typing for bone marrow testing

4 Co-sponsors

• Adriano Espaillat
• John L. Sampson
• Toby Ann Stavisky
• Andrea Stewart-Cousins

BILL NUMBER:S4350A

Title of bill

An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring policies and contracts of insurance providing hospital, surgical, or medical care coverage to include coverage for human leukocyte antigen testing

Purpose

Requires certain health insurance policies and contracts to provide coverage for human leukocyte antigen testing for use in tissue typing for bone marrow testing.

Summary of provisions

Amends the insurance law by adding a new paragraph 29 to subsection (i) of section 3216, adding a new paragraph 19 to subsection (1) of section 3221, and adding a new subsection (ii) to section 4303.

Justification

Each year thousands of people require bone marrow transplants to treat diseases such as lymphomas, leukemias, anemias, immune deficiency disorders, multiple myeloma and solid tumors. Bone marrow transplants replenish stem cells which are found in greatest concentrations within the bone marrow.

The problem currently faced by patients in need of stem cells is that of finding a proper match of human leukocyte antigens. In order to facilitate the vast number of people who suffer from the life threatening blood disease, a national registry has been set up which records typing of antigens for potential donors. At the present time, bone marrow donors are required to pay a fee up to $75 in order to perform the test and have their name placed on the national donor list. Certainly, people in New York are more likely to be members of the registry if they do not have to pay a fee and if tissue typing is more accessible.

This bill would require health insurance companies to cover the tissue typing fee. The end result would be an increase in the number of bone marrow donors in the registry and a greater likelihood to find possible donor matches.

Legislative history

A.9761 - 1999-2000 A.1186 - 2001-2002 A.777 - 2003-2004 A.3622 - 2005-2006 A.4084 - 2007-2008 A.4988 - 2009-2010 03/30/11 REFERRED TO INSURANCE 01/04/12 REFERRED TO INSURANCE

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after such date; provided, however, that any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date shall be promulgated, and any other means necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date shall be taken, on or before such effective date.