What's happening
This bill prohibits insurance policies from charging co-payments for treatment at opioid treatment programs in New York.
Why it matters
Removes a financial barrier for individuals seeking medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. by ensuring no co-payments are required, which can increase access to essential care for those struggling with addiction.
May help reduce overall public health costs and societal burdens associated with untreated opioid addiction. , such as emergency healthcare usage, criminal justice involvement, and lost productivity.
Applies the co-payment prohibition broadly across different types of insurance policies. (including individual, group, and hospital/medical service plans), ensuring that the change benefits a wide range of New Yorkers regardless of their insurance provider.
Specifically defines “opioid treatment program” to include both formal programs and individual practitioners using opioid agonist medications. , potentially broadening the scope of providers covered and making it easier for patients to access 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
End Opioid Treatment Co-Pays
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
11 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Ordered to third reading cal.46
- Returned to assembly
- Died in senate
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.92
- Rules report cal.92
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Print number 972a
Show 2 earlier actions
- Amend and recommit 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.
End Opioid Treatment Co-Pays
In Senate Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Pete Harckham
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
972--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. L. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
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 during the course of treatment 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 during the course of treatment 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 during the course of treatment 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.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04805-02-9
A. 972--A 2
§ 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.
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.