Requires the department of health to publish a report on the incidence of tick-borne illnesses annually on the department's website; requires the department to submit an annual report to the governor and the leaders of the legislature; requires the superintendent of financial services to review the status of health insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases and to submit a report to the governor and the leaders of the legislature.
A06047 would require the New York State Department of Health, working with the tick-borne disease institute and the Department of Environmental Conservation, to publish an annual public report on tick-borne illnesses. The report would include the number of diagnosed cases, county-level incidence, and estimates of the tick population statewide and by county, including whether that population is expected to rise, fall, or remain stable. The department would also submit an annual report to the governor and legislative leaders summarizing the prior year’s data and any other relevant information for the coming year.
The bill also directs the superintendent of financial services, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to review health insurance coverage for Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases. That review must examine current coverage levels, reasons insurers deny coverage, coverage requirements in other states, estimated costs, and possible changes to New York’s insurance rules. The superintendent would then report findings, conclusions, and recommendations within 180 days of the act’s effective date.
The bill would add a new Public Health Law section requiring ongoing state-level surveillance and reporting on tick-borne illnesses, creating a formal annual reporting obligation for the Department of Health and related agencies. It would also require the Department of Financial Services to study insurance coverage for Lyme disease and related conditions, potentially laying the groundwork for future changes to insurance mandates, coverage standards, or reimbursement rules affecting insurers, patients, and providers in New York.
The available committee votes show unanimous support at each stage, with the Assembly Health Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and Rules Committee all voting favorably and no recorded opposition. That pattern suggests the bill was viewed positively as a public health and consumer protection measure, particularly in light of concerns about the prevalence and treatment of tick-borne disease in New York.
No direct opposition appears in the available record, but the bill’s insurance review component could raise policy questions about the cost of expanding coverage, the scope of mandated benefits, and how insurers handle treatment for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The main substantive issue is likely whether New York should move from studying coverage gaps to requiring broader insurance coverage, and how any such expansion would affect premiums, access to care, and insurer reimbursement practices.