What's happening
This bill requires insurance coverage for all treatments of Lyme and tick-borne diseases, and creates a taxpayer-supported fund for related research and education.
Why it matters
Expands insurance coverage for Lyme and tick-borne diseases. to explicitly include all treatments—such as intravenous and oral antibiotics, or any combination—if recommended by a licensed New York physician, potentially easing financial barriers for patients with complex or long-term cases.
Mandates parity across different health insurance types. (individual, group, blanket, and health service corporations), ensuring that no matter the insurance plan, patients receive consistent coverage for tick-borne illness treatments.
Establishes a dedicated tick-borne illness fund. supported by voluntary taxpayer contributions (from both individuals and corporations), aiming to boost research, detection, and educational initiatives that could improve public health outcomes and disease management.
Directs that all donated funds be used efficiently. within each fiscal year for research and education, with oversight by state health and finance officials, increasing transparency and potentially accelerating advancements in prevention and treatment.
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
Cover Lyme Disease Care
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to insurance
- 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.
Cover Lyme Disease Treatment
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
178
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CAHILL, SANTABARBARA, OTIS, PALMESANO, WOERNER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARRETT, COOK, GUNTHER, JAFFEE, LUPAR- DO, PERRY, RIVERA, L. ROSENTHAL, STECK, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to coverage of long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens; and to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to providing for taxpayer gifts for tick borne illness research, detection and education and establishing the tick borne illness research, detection and education fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "tick borne illness treatment and education act of 2019".
§ 2. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 35 to read as follows:
(35) Every insurer issuing a policy of accident and health insurance for delivery in this state shall provide coverage for all costs for treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) and other tick borne related pathogens. Such treatment may include intravenous antibiotic therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any other treatment, or any combination of treatments, provided such treatment is recommended by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state of New York.
§ 3. Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 22 to read as follows:
(22) Every group or blanket policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state which provides hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall provide coverage for all costs for treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) and other tick borne related pathogens. Such treatment may include intravenous antibiotic therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01925-01-9
A. 178 2
other treatment, or any combination of treatments, provided such treatment is recommended by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state of New York.
§ 4. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (ss) to read as follows:
(ss) Every medical expense indemnity corporation, hospital service corporation and health service corporation which provides coverage for medical, surgical or major medical care shall provide coverage for all costs for treatment of Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) and other tick borne related pathogens. Such treatment may include intravenous antibiotic therapy, oral antibiotic therapy, or any other treatment, or any combination of treatments, provided such treatment is recommended by a physician licensed to practice medicine in the state of New York.
§ 5. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 209-M to read as follows:
§ 209-M. Gift for tick borne illness research, detection and education. A taxpayer in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the support of the tick borne illness research, detection and education fund. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of the state tax owed by such taxpayer. The commissioner shall include space on the corporate income tax return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the tick borne illness research, detection and education fund and shall be used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-seven-cc of the state finance law.
§ 6. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-g to read as follows:
§ 630-g. Gift for tick borne illness research, detection and education. An individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the tick borne illness research, detection and education fund. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the tick borne illness research, detection and education fund and used only for those purposes enumerated in section ninety-seven-cc of the state finance law.
§ 7. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-cc to read as follows:
§ 97-cc. Tick borne illness research, detection and education fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "tick borne illness research, detection and education fund".
2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department of taxation and finance, pursuant to the provisions of sections two hundred nine-M and six hundred thirty-g of the tax law and all other moneys appropriated, credited, or transferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants, gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this section and depositing them into the fund according to law.
3. Monies of the fund shall be expended only for tick borne illness research, detection and education projects pursuant to section twentyseven hundred ninety-eight of the public health law.
A. 178 3
4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commissioner of health.
5. To the extent practicable, the commissioner of health shall ensure that all monies received during a fiscal year are expended prior to the end of that fiscal year.
§ 8. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective 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.