What's happening
This bill requires insurance policies that cover prescription drugs to also cover the cost of donated breast milk.
Why it matters
Expands access to life-saving nutrition. By requiring insurance coverage for donated breast milk, the bill helps ensure that medically vulnerable infants—such as preemies or those whose mothers cannot breastfeed—can access breast milk, which is often recommended by doctors for health and developmental reasons.
Reduces financial burden on families. Donated breast milk can be very expensive and is often not covered by insurance, leaving families with high out-of-pocket costs. This bill would alleviate that financial strain, making medically necessary breast milk accessible regardless of a family's income.
Supports public health and healthcare equity. Making donated breast milk more accessible through insurance may help reduce health disparities, as lower-income families would have better access to this resource, potentially leading to better health outcomes for at-risk infants and less strain on the healthcare system due to related complications.
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Who cares
Families using donated breast milk
The bill would require policies with prescription drug coverage to cover the cost of donated breast milk.
Insurers offering prescription drug coverage
They would have to add coverage for donated breast milk to affected policies.
Hospital services and health services corporations
Their contracts that cover prescription drugs would also have to cover donated breast milk, with the requirement taking effect immediately.
Headline styles
Insure Donor Breast Milk
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.
Insurers Cover Donated Breast Milk
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2759
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, ENGLEBRIGHT, D'URSO, RAIA, TAYLOR -read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring insurance coverage for the cost of donated breast milk
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 35 to read as follows:
(35) Every policy which provides coverage for prescription drugs shall include coverage for the cost of donated breast milk.
§ 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new paragraph 21 to read as follows:
(21) Every policy which provides coverage for prescription drugs shall include coverage for the cost of donated breast milk.
§ 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new subsection (ss) to read as follows:
(ss) Every contract issued by a hospital services corporation or a health services corporation which provides coverage for prescription drugs shall include coverage for the cost of donated breast milk.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05126-01-9
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.