S 3654: Requires health insurers to provide coverage for speech therapy for stuttering.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3654 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 29, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- 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 health insurers to provide coverage for speech therapy for stuttering The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216 of the insurance law is 2 amended by adding a new paragraph 40 to read as follows: 3 (40) Every insurer issuing a policy of accident and health insurance 4 for delivery in this state shall provide coverage for all costs for 5 speech therapy for stuttering. Such speech therapy shall include, but 6 not be limited to, habilitative speech therapy treatment and rehabilita- 7 tive speech therapy treatment for stuttering, provided such treatment is 8 recommended by a health care provider licensed to practice in the state 9 of New York. No insurer, corporation, or health maintenance organization 10 shall impose upon any person receiving benefits pursuant to this para- 11 graph any durational benefit limitation or maximum for benefits, 12 services, or visits provided under this paragraph. 13 § 2. Subsection (k) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by 14 adding a new paragraph 24 to read as follows: 15 (24) Every group or blanket policy delivered or issued for delivery in 16 this state which provides hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall 17 provide coverage for all costs for speech therapy for stuttering. Such 18 speech therapy shall include, but not be limited to, habilitative speech 19 therapy treatment and rehabilitative speech therapy treatment for stut- 20 tering, provided such treatment is recommended by a health care provider 21 licensed to practice in the state of New York. No insurer, corporation, 22 or health maintenance organization shall impose upon any person receiv- 23 ing benefits pursuant to this paragraph any durational benefit limita- 24 tion or maximum for benefits, services, or visits provided under this 25 paragraph. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07423-02-5 
 S. 3654 2 1 § 3. Section 4303 of the insurance law is amended by adding a new 2 subsection (ww) to read as follows: 3 (ww) Every medical expense indemnity corporation, hospital service 4 corporation and health service corporation which provides coverage for 5 medical, surgical or major medical care shall provide coverage for all 6 costs for speech therapy for stuttering. Such speech therapy shall 7 include, but not be limited to, habilitative speech therapy treatment 8 and rehabilitative speech therapy treatment for stuttering, provided 9 such treatment is recommended by a health care provider licensed to 10 practice in the state of New York. No insurer, corporation, or health 11 maintenance organization shall impose upon any person receiving benefits 12 pursuant to this paragraph any durational benefit limitation or maximum 13 for benefits, services, or visits provided under this subsection. 14 § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 15 it shall have become a law and shall apply to policies and contracts 16 issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such effective 17 date. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of 18 any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on 19 its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before 20 such effective date.