S 6523: Requires insurance companies to reimburse all health care practitioners at the same rate for cervical cytology screening, including the preparation of a Pap smear; prohibits health care practitioners from refusing to provide a Pap smear during a regular annual checkup if such patient has not had a Pap smear done in the preceding twelve months.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6523 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE March 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance AN ACT to amend the insurance law, the social services law and the public health law, in relation to requiring insurance companies to reimburse all health care practitioners at the same rate for cervical cytology screening The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 15 of subsection (i) of 2 section 3216 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 219 of the laws 3 of 2011, is amended to read as follows: 4 (B) For purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (C) of this paragraph, 5 cervical cytology screening shall include an annual pelvic examination, 6 collection and preparation of a Pap smear, and laboratory and diagnostic 7 services provided in connection with examining and evaluating the Pap 8 smear. An insurer shall provide the same rate of reimbursement for 9 cervical cytology screening whether such screening is performed by a 10 licensed health care practitioner or by a provider of obstetrical and/or 11 gynecologic services. 12 § 2. Subparagraph (B) of paragraph 14 of subsection (l) of section 13 3221 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 219 of the laws of 14 2011, is amended to read as follows: 15 (B) For purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (C) of this paragraph, 16 cervical cytology screening shall include an annual pelvic examination, 17 collection and preparation of a Pap smear, and laboratory and diagnostic 18 services provided in connection with examining and evaluating the Pap 19 smear. An insurer shall provide the same rate of reimbursement for 20 cervical cytology screening whether such screening is performed by a 21 licensed health care practitioner or by a provider of obstetrical and/or 22 gynecologic services. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10991-01-5 
 S. 6523 2 1 § 3. Paragraph 2 of subsection (t) of section 4303 of the insurance 2 law, as amended by chapter 219 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read 3 as follows: 4 (2) For purposes of paragraph one of this subsection, cervical cytolo- 5 gy screening shall include an annual pelvic examination, collection and 6 preparation of a Pap smear, and laboratory and diagnostic services 7 provided in connection with examining and evaluating the Pap smear. An 8 insurer shall provide the same rate of reimbursement for cervical cytol- 9 ogy screening whether such screening is performed by a licensed health 10 care practitioner or by a provider of obstetrical and/or gynecologic 11 services. 12 § 4. Section 364-j of the social services law is amended by adding a 13 new subdivision 18-a to read as follows: 14 18-a. Managed care providers shall be reimbursed at the same rate for 15 cervical cytology screening, including but not limited to the prepara- 16 tion of a Pap smear, whether such screening is performed by a primary 17 care practitioner or by a medical services provider of obstetrical 18 and/or gynecologic services. 19 § 5. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 267-c to 20 read as follows: 21 § 267-c. Cervical cytology screening. Notwithstanding any provision of 22 law to the contrary, a primary care practitioner shall not refuse to 23 perform cervical cytology screening, including but not limited to the 24 preparation of a Pap smear, during a patient's regular annual checkup or 25 for new patients who have not had a Pap smear done by a primary care 26 practitioner or by a provider of obstetrical and/or gynecologic services 27 within the preceding twelve months. 28 § 6. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 29 it shall have become a law; provided however, that the amendments to 30 section 364-j of the social services law made by section four of this 31 act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed 32 repealed therewith. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 33 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 34 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 35 completed on or before such effective date.