Requires insurance companies to cover outpatient problem gambling services.
Summary
A08518 amends New York’s insurance law to require most comprehensive medical insurance policies and contracts to cover outpatient services for the diagnosis and treatment of problem gambling, alongside existing coverage for substance use disorder services such as detoxification and rehabilitation. The bill makes this change in three parallel insurance provisions covering individual policies, group policies, and nonprofit health service plans.
The coverage mandate applies to outpatient problem gambling treatment under the same general framework already used for outpatient substance use disorder benefits. In particular, insurers may not impose financial requirements or treatment limitations on these outpatient benefits that are more restrictive than those applied to substantially all medical and surgical benefits under the policy or contract. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to policies issued, delivered, renewed, or modified on or after that date.
Impact
The bill would expand mandated health insurance benefits in New York by adding problem gambling services to the list of outpatient behavioral health services that must be covered. It amends sections 3216, 3221, and 4303 of the Insurance Law, affecting individual, group, and nonprofit health insurance coverage, and it would require insurers to align cost-sharing and utilization limits for these services with comparable medical and surgical benefits.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. It received a unanimous favorable vote in the Assembly Insurance Committee and passed the Assembly floor with a strong majority, indicating that lawmakers generally viewed the bill as a public health and consumer protection measure. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate or objections.
Contention
The main policy issue is the expansion of mandated insurance coverage to problem gambling treatment, which may raise concerns among insurers about added benefit costs, administrative changes, and the scope of covered behavioral health services. Supporters appear to favor treating gambling disorder similarly to other addiction-related conditions and ensuring access to outpatient care without more restrictive insurance barriers. Because the bill passed comfortably and no transcripts are available, there is no documented major floor or committee opposition in the provided materials.
Enacts the "Give Kids a Chance - Carter and Ray's Law" mandating health insurance coverage for congenital anomalies including certain reconstructive services, habilitative services, and inpatient and outpatient services.
Requires insurance coverage for lactation support services by a certified lactation consultant who evaluate and manage lactation and infant feeding problems and provide preventative clinical consulting to prevent or minimize the occurrence of potential problems.
Requires insurance coverage for lactation support services by a certified lactation consultant who evaluate and manage lactation and infant feeding problems and provide preventative clinical consulting to prevent or minimize the occurrence of potential problems.
Establishes a problem gambling research institute to examine and find solutions to problem gambling in the state of New York; creates a fund to fund such problem gambling institute.