A 4577: Preserves New Yorker's freedom of choice in health care.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4577 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to preserving New Yorker's freedom of choice in health care The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Freedom of 2 Choice in Health Care Act". 3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 25 to 4 read as follows: 5 § 25. Freedom of choice in health care. It shall be the policy of this 6 state that the people of the state of New York have the right to enter 7 into private contracts with health care providers for health care 8 services and to purchase private health care coverage, subject to gener- 9 ally applicable laws, rules and regulations of the state. The legisla- 10 ture shall not require any person to participate in any health care 11 system or plan, nor shall it impose a penalty or fine, of any type, for 12 choosing to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation 13 in any particular health care system or plan. 14 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07704-01-5