What's happening
This bill prohibits insurance policies from charging co-payments for treatment at opioid treatment programs in New York.
Why it matters
Reduces Financial Barriers. By eliminating co-payments for opioid treatment program visits, the bill lowers out-of-pocket costs for individuals seeking help, potentially making it easier for people to start and continue treatment.
Supports Public Health Efforts. Removing co-pays aligns with broader strategies to combat the opioid crisis by encouraging more widespread and consistent use of evidence-based treatments like opioid agonist therapy.
Standardizes Insurance Coverage. The bill requires all relevant insurance policies in New York to comply, ensuring consistent access to no-co-pay opioid treatment across different insurers and plans.
Focuses on Proven Treatments. By defining "opioid treatment programs" as those using opioid agonist medications, the bill prioritizes access to therapies with strong clinical backing for effectiveness in treating opioid use disorder.
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Who cares
Headline styles
End Opioid Treatment Co-Pays
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9082
IN ASSEMBLY
January 18, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting co-payments for treatment at an opioid treatment program
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 31-b to read as follows:
(31-b) Every policy that provides coverage for treatment at an opioid treatment program shall not impose a co-payment fee on any insured for such treatment. For the purposes of this section "opioid treatment program" means a program or practitioner engaged in opioid treatment of individuals with an opioid agonist treatment medication.
§ 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 7-c to read as follows:
(7-c) Every policy that provides coverage for treatment at an opioid treatment program shall not impose a co-payment fee on any insured for such treatment. For the purposes of this section "opioid treatment program" means a program or practitioner engaged in opioid treatment of individuals with an opioid agonist treatment medication.
§ 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (l-3) to read as follows:
(l-3) Every policy that provides coverage for treatment at an opioid treatment program shall not impose a co-payment fee on any insured for such treatment. For the purposes of this section "opioid treatment program" means a program or practitioner engaged in opioid treatment of individuals with an opioid agonist treatment medication.
§ 4. 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 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on and after such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13902-01-7
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.