S 1789: Requires private insurance plans which provide for reimbursement for psychiatric or psychological services or for diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions to include reimbursement for services provided by child advocacy centers.
The proposed legislation aims to require private insurance plans to reimburse for services provided by child advocacy centers. Currently, insurance policies must reimburse for psychiatric or psychological services or diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions, regardless of the provider's qualifications. The new requirement will also extend this reimbursement to services provided by child advocacy centers, which are established to support child victims of abuse and neglect. Reimbursement for these services may be limited to facilities licensed or certified by the Office of Children and Family Services in New York State. The proposed law will take effect immediately and apply to all policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, or amended on or after the effective date.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO INSURANCE |
| Jan. 13, 2025 | REFERRED TO INSURANCE |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1789 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 13, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. FERNANDEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring certain private insurance plans to reimburse for services provided by child advocacy centers The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph 4 of subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insur- 2 ance law, as amended by section 1 of subpart A of part BB of chapter 57 3 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows: 4 (4) (A) If a policy provides for reimbursement for psychiatric or 5 psychological services or for diagnosis and treatment of mental health 6 conditions however defined in the policy, the insured shall be entitled 7 to reimbursement for such services, diagnosis or treatment whether 8 performed by a physician, psychiatrist, a certified and registered 9 psychologist, or a nurse practitioner when the services rendered are 10 within the lawful scope of their practice. 11 (B) (i) Every policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state 12 which provides for reimbursement for psychiatric or psychological 13 services or for diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions 14 shall also include reimbursement for services provided by child advocacy 15 centers established pursuant to section four hundred twenty-three-a of 16 the social services law. 17 (ii) Reimbursement under this subparagraph may be limited to facili- 18 ties in New York state that are licensed, certified or otherwise author- 19 ized by the office of children and family services. 20 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all 21 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on 22 or after such date. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04380-01-5