What's happening
This bill requires health insurers to allow patients to assign insurance payments directly to any medical provider, in- or out-of-network, for covered services.
Why it matters
Empowers patients to choose any provider (in- or out-of-network) by guaranteeing their right to direct insurance payments, potentially increasing access to a wider range of healthcare professionals.
May help independent and out-of-network medical providers receive timely payments directly from insurers, reducing administrative hurdles and financial uncertainties for these providers.
Requires insurers to provide patients with detailed written notifications about payment amounts, services covered, and cost breakdowns (including co-pays and deductibles), which could improve transparency and help patients better understand their medical bills.
Could shift some negotiating power away from insurers and networks, possibly affecting how much leverage insurers have over providers and impacting broader pricing dynamics in the healthcare market.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Let Patients Assign Insurance Payments
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1690
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring medical insurers to permit patients to assign their payment
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 34 to read as follows:
(34) Every policy which provides medical, major-medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage shall permit a patient to assign his or her payment to the provider of such hospital, surgical or medical services, regardless of whether the provider is in the network of health care providers offered by the insurer issuing the policy, provided that the services rendered to the patient by the provider are otherwise covered under the policy.
§ 2. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (t) to read as follows:
(t) Every group or blanket policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state which provides hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall permit a patient to assign his or her payment to the provider of such hospital, surgical or medical services, regardless of whether the provider is in the network of health care providers offered by the insurer issuing the policy, provided that the services rendered to the patient by the provider are otherwise covered under the policy.
§ 3. Section 3224-a of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (k) to read as follows:
(k) Where payment for any portion of a claim is made directly to a health care provider, such insurer or organization or corporation shall provide at the time payment is made written notification of such payment to the policyholder who rendered the service for which the claim was paid. Such notification shall include, but not be limited to, the amount
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04396-01-7
A. 1690 2
paid to the health care provider, the percentage of the total claim represented by the payment, the services for which payment was made, the health care provider providing those services and the calculations for payment, by service provided, including co-payments, deductibles, surcharges and fee schedules.
§ 4. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) Every contract issued by a medical expense indemnity corporation or health service corporation which provides medical, major medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage shall permit a patient to assign his or her benefits to the provider of such hospital, surgical or medical services, regardless of whether the provider is in the network of health care providers offered by the insurer issuing the policy, provided that the services rendered to the patient by the provider are otherwise covered under the policy.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.