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History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
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Requires major medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage insurance policies to cover cranial prostheses worn for certain permanent or temporary hair loss
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Steven Cymbrowitz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4707
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring individual and group or blanket accident or health insurance policies and hospital service corporations, health service corporations, and medical indemnity corporations, which provide hospital, surgical or medical coverage to include coverage for the purchase of cranial prostheses when prescribed as medically necessary
Purpose or general idea of bill
To mandate that health insurers cover the costs and expenses of cranial prostheses, more commonly known as prosthetic hair replacements (often wigs).
Summary of specific provisions
Section one amends §3216 of the Insurance Law to provide for a cranial prosthesis benefit when such prostheses are medically necessary as a result of permanent or temporary hair loss due to accident, injury or disease, or the treatment of such conditions. The benefit can be subject to the same coinsurance and deductible provisions required for other benefits under the policy, and health plans may limit the benefit to one prosthesis per covered person for the lifetime of the policy. Sections two and three amend §§3221 and 4303, respectively, to require the same benefit.
Justification
A person who has lost hair due to an illness can stiffer from major psychological effects. In such cases, a wig is not a luxury and health insurers should cover the cost of a cranial prosthesis in such cases. This bill requires that insurance companies cover the cost of a cranial prosthesis so that the patient will be better able to maintain their esteem and well-being.
Prior legislative history
2001-02: A.8818-B Passed Assembly; S.2016 Insurance 2003-04: A.3713 Passed Assembly; S.3477-A Insurance 2005-06: A.1813 Insurance; No Senate bill. 2007-08: A.4652 Insurance; S.5588 Insurance 2009-10: S.2907/A.3821 Senate/Assembly Insurance Cmtes.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law and shall apply according to its terms to all policies, contracts and certificates issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.