New York Senate Bill S06862

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires health insurers to provide coverage for long term medical care for Lyme disease and other tick borne related pathogens.

Summary

This bill would require a broad range of health insurance products in New York to cover the full cost of treatment for Lyme disease and other tick-borne related pathogens. It applies to individual accident and health policies, group and blanket policies, and medical expense indemnity, hospital service, and health service corporations. The required coverage would include at least 30 days of intravenous antibiotic therapy, 60 days of oral antibiotic therapy, or both, and would also cover additional treatment if recommended by a New York-licensed physician. The bill also amends the Workers’ Compensation Law to recognize Lyme disease and other tick-borne related pathogens in the workers’ compensation system. It adds Lyme disease as a covered disease category and clarifies that disability includes disability caused by or connected with Lyme disease and related pathogens. The measure would take effect 120 days after becoming law, with immediate authorization for any necessary implementing regulations.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would expand mandated insurance benefits in the Insurance Law and create explicit workers’ compensation recognition for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses. Insurers would be required to pay for specified long-term antibiotic treatment and any further care recommended by a licensed New York physician, which could increase coverage obligations and claims costs. The workers’ compensation amendments would make it easier for affected workers to seek benefits for disability tied to Lyme disease or related pathogens, and would update statutory disease classifications to include these conditions.

Sentiment

The bill’s framing suggests strong support for expanded access to treatment for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses, with a focus on ensuring patients can obtain long-term care when medically recommended. No committee transcript or vote record is available here, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears patient-protective and treatment-expanding in tone.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the mandate for long-term antibiotic treatment and open-ended coverage for additional care recommended by a physician, which may raise concerns among insurers about medical necessity standards, utilization control, and cost. Another possible issue is the breadth of the workers’ compensation changes, especially the inclusion of disability tied to Lyme disease and other tick-borne pathogens. No transcript is available, so no specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials.