What's happening
This bill prohibits insurance companies from charging co-pays or fees for one follow-up visit to refill an opioid prescription initially written for seven days or less.
Why it matters
Reduces out-of-pocket costs for patients. who need a short-term opioid prescription followed by a single refill, potentially lowering financial barriers to necessary pain management.
May encourage safer opioid prescribing. by making it easier for patients to return for a follow-up rather than being incentivized to request a larger initial supply due to cost concerns.
Limits the zero-fee benefit to only one follow-up visit or refill. after the initial prescription, balancing patient access with efforts to prevent overuse or abuse.
Could impact insurance company practices and healthcare provider billing,. requiring updates to policies and procedures to comply with the new prohibition on certain charges for qualifying visits.
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Who cares
Headline styles
No Copays for Opioid Refills
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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.
No Copays for Opioid Refills
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Joe DeStefano
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
279
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting insurance companies from imposing a co-pay pursuant to a follow up visit with a physician in order to receive a refill on an opioid drug prescription
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 opioid drug prescriptions shall not impose any fee, co-payment, co-insurance, deductible or other condition on any insured who requires a follow up appointment to receive an additional opioid drug prescription or a refill of an opioid drug prescription after an initial prescription for such opioid drug prescription which was written for a period of seven days or less. Such prohibition on any fee, co-payment, co-insurance, deductible or other condition is limited to one visit or one refill after the initial appointment or prescription. Upon any subsequent consultation for the same pain, the practitioner may issue, in accordance with this subsection, any appropriate renewal, refill, or new prescription for the opioid or any other drug.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02495-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to prohibiting insurance companies from imposing a co-pay pursuant to a follow up visit with a physician in order to receive a refill on an opioid drug prescription
Purpose or general idea of bill
To allow physicians to prescribe short term opioid prescriptions of 7 days or less to patients without fear that the patient would be forced to pay another co-pay for the medication and follow up visit.
Justification
New York State has a documented and serious problem with opioid abuse. Physicians currently may over prescribe opioids to patients for up to 30 days at a time because they fear the patient may not have the financial resources to pay more co-pays for follow up visits and for more medica- tion. Often these unnecessary pills are then abused by the patient or may sit in a medicine cabinet and can be abused by other members of that household.
This legislation will allow flexibility to a physician to prescribe the proper amount of opioids to patients without fear that it will be a financial burden to the patient should they need another short prescription. This will also reduce the amount of unused opioids that may then be abused.
Prior legislative history
S/. 3666 of 2018/2018 Referred to Insurance A.10435 of 2015/16 - Referred to insurance
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the nineteenth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.