What's happening
This bill requires insurance coverage for Lyme and tick-borne disease treatments and creates a fund for related research and education.
Why it matters
Expands insurance coverage mandates. The bill requires all state-regulated health insurance policies—including individual, group, and HMO plans—to cover the full cost of treatments for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, as long as a New York-licensed physician recommends the treatment. This removes insurer discretion to deny or limit coverage for lengthy or controversial therapies (like long-term antibiotics).
Supports comprehensive treatment options. Coverage is not limited to standard or short-term therapies; it explicitly includes intravenous and oral antibiotics, as well as any combination of treatments. This could benefit patients with chronic or hard-to-treat cases who often face insurance denials for extended or alternative regimens.
Enables voluntary taxpayer support for research and education. New York taxpayers—both individuals and businesses—will be able to make donations via their state tax returns to a dedicated fund for tick-borne illness research, detection, and education, increasing resources for public health initiatives without raising taxes.
Creates a dedicated public health fund. All voluntary contributions, grants, or gifts to the new fund must be used exclusively for projects related to tick-borne disease research, detection, and education, potentially accelerating advancements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and providing more public awareness in a state with high rates of tick-borne illness.
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Who cares
Patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections
The bill would require covered health policies to pay all treatment costs when a New York-licensed physician recommends the treatment, including intravenous or oral antibiotics.
Health insurers and health service corporations
The bill would impose coverage requirements for physician-recommended tick-borne illness treatments under individual, group and blanket policies and specified medical coverage.
Individual and corporate taxpayers
The bill would let them contribute whole-dollar amounts through their tax returns to a tick-borne illness research, detection and education fund without reducing their state tax owed.
New York State Department of Health
The health commissioner would approve fund payments for tick-borne illness research, detection and education projects and, where practicable, ensure money received is spent within the fiscal year.
Headline styles
Cover Lyme Disease Treatment
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-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 Care
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Kevin Cahill
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
426
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sens. HOYLMAN, MAYER, SERRANO -- 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 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 other treatment, or any combination of treatments, provided such treat-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01925-01-9
S. 426 2
ment 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.
S. 426 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
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
Purpose or general idea of bill
To require health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens. To increase public awareness and community outreach for prevention of tick bites and treatment of tick borne illness symptoms. To provide funding and encourage charitable donations for research and efforts to raise public awareness of tick borne illness.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 titles the bill the "Tick borne illness treatment and educa- tion act of 2013 (The TickBITE Act)."
Section 2 adds Lyme disease to those ailments covered by insurance law by amending subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law by adding a new paragraph 34.
Section 3 amends subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law by adding a new paragraph 22.
Section 4 amends section 4303 of the insurance law by adding a new subsection (oo).
Section 5 amends the tax law by adding new section 209-n, to allow for taxpayer gifts for tick borne illness, research and education.
Section 6 amends the tax law by adding new section 630-e.
Section 7 amends the state finance law by adding new section 97-cc to establish the "tick borne illness research, detection and education fund."
Section 8 sets the effective date.
Justification
Insurance law currently fails to cover tick borne illness. The spread of Lyme Disease in the Hudson Valley and other parts of New York State has been growing steadily in the past few years.
Prior legislative history
S.4713 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Insurance A.114 of 2017-2018 (Cahill): Died in Insurance 2015-2016: Died in Committee
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rules or regulations neces- sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.