Requires insurance coverage for the cost of donated breast milk.
Summary
This bill would require New York health insurance policies that already cover prescription drugs to also cover the cost of donated breast milk. It amends three parts of the Insurance Law covering individual policies, group policies, and hospital/health service corporation contracts, so the requirement would apply broadly across most major forms of health coverage that include prescription drug benefits.
The bill is framed as an immediate effective-date measure, meaning the coverage mandate would take effect as soon as the act becomes law. In practical terms, it would make donated breast milk a covered benefit for insured families when medically needed, reducing out-of-pocket costs for infants and parents who rely on donor milk rather than formula or maternal milk supply.
Impact
The bill would amend Insurance Law sections 3216, 3221, and 4303 to add a new coverage mandate for donated breast milk. It would require insurers and health service corporations offering prescription drug coverage to include payment for donated breast milk, thereby expanding mandated benefits under New York insurance law and potentially affecting plan design, premiums, and claims administration for individual, group, and hospital service contracts.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears to be presented as a straightforward health coverage expansion with a consumer-protection and infant-health focus. There is no documented opposition in the provided materials, but the mandate could draw support from advocates for maternal and infant health and from families facing high donor-milk costs.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the cost of imposing a new insurance mandate on carriers and health plans, including whether the benefit should be limited to medically necessary situations or broader circumstances. Another possible issue is how insurers would define and verify eligible donated breast milk, and whether the requirement should apply to all plans or only certain categories of coverage. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided transcripts or voting history.