What's happening
This bill ensures New Yorkers have the right to choose private health care and coverage without mandatory participation or penalties.
Why it matters
Protects Individual Choice. By guaranteeing the right to enter into private health care contracts and purchase private coverage, the bill safeguards personal autonomy over health decisions, which can be important for those seeking options outside government-run or employer-provided plans.
Limits Government Mandates. The legislation explicitly prohibits the state legislature from requiring participation in any health care system or penalizing those who opt out, preventing future attempts to mandate health coverage or impose fines on the uninsured.
Preserves Access to Alternative Care. This measure could benefit people who prefer alternative, boutique, or direct-pay health care arrangements, ensuring these remain legal and accessible regardless of broader health policy changes.
Potential Impact on Universal Coverage Efforts. By embedding the right to opt out, the bill could complicate or restrict state efforts to implement universal or single-payer health care systems, as it ensures residents can always choose private alternatives.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Health Care Choice
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Held for consideration in health
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
9821
IN ASSEMBLY
February 13, 2020
Introduced by M. of A. BYRNE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to preserving New Yorker's freedom of choice in health care
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 "Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act".
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 25 to read as follows:
§ 25. Freedom of choice in health care. It shall be the policy of this state that the people of the state of New York have the right to enter into private contracts with health care providers for health care services and to purchase private health care coverage, subject to generally applicable laws, rules and regulations of the state. The legislature shall not require any person to participate in any health care system or plan, nor shall it impose a penalty or fine, of any type, for choosing to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or plan.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15136-01-0
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.