Healthcare

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 7200: Provides an exception to hospital visitation rules for members of the clergy

This bill requires hospitals to permit visitation by clergy members from a patient's established religious congregation, provided the patient (or their legal representative) requests it and the visit aligns with hospital safety and treatment protocols. Key provisions include allowing clergy to count toward a hospital's visitor limit (with a one-hour time limit) and permitting immediate visitation during end-of-life or life-threatening emergencies. It directly affects patients, hospitals, and clergy by clarifying visitation rights without overriding existing safety restrictions in units like burn wards or disease isolation areas. The bill does not compel hospitals to allow clergy if safety risks exist, nor does it require clergy to provide visitation.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllows clergy visitation during critical care, protecting patient rights and access to spiritual support in hospitals without restricting services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5204: Enacts the Health Care Nondiscrimination Act of 2025

Enacts the Health Care Nondiscrimination Act; requires insurance coverage and health plans to implement equality and non-discrimination between licensed health care providers; requires fee parity between different classes of licensed providers providing the similar or like-kind services; requires practitioners to discuss and refer or prescribe non-pharmacological treatment alternatives before prescribing an opioid treatment; allows any licensed health care provider to perform certain services, including certifying disability and employment by school districts; provides for enforcement and penalties.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires non-discrimination in insurance coverage, fee parity for similar services, and mandates non-opioid treatment discussions - expanding equitable access and patient rights in healthcare.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7175: Relates to the training requirements for prescribers of certain pain medications

S 7175 requires healthcare prescribers of certain pain medications to complete updated training focused on safe prescribing practices. The bill mandates that training cover state/federal prescribing rules, pain management, addiction screening, overdose prevention techniques, and buprenorphine prescribing information for license renewals after July 1, 2026. It directs the health department to establish and publish standards for this training, including patient-centered care considerations. The law takes effect 120 days after enactment, with necessary rule updates to be completed by the health department before that date. This directly affects licensed prescribers who renew their licenses after 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates prescriber training on safe practices, addiction screening, and overdose prevention to improve patient safety in pain management, aligning with healthcare protection and patient-centered care indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 8203: Relates to requiring providers to share electronic medical records with healthcare plans

Requires that a contract between an insurer and a hospital shall include a provision that provides for medical records requested by the insurer or its utilization review agent to be made available electronically by the hospital; limits the use of disclosed records.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates electronic medical record sharing between insurers and hospitals, improving access and privacy protections per patient rights indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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in committee · New York · Senate Mar 31, 2026

S 4872: Provides notice of health insurance contracts for retired officers, employees, and their families

This bill requires public employers to provide 45 days' written notice to retired officers, employees, and their families before approving or amending health insurance contracts covering them. The notice must include either the full contract text with cost details or general terms plus a link to where the full details (including costs to the public corporation and retirees) can be accessed. It applies to all health insurance contracts for retirees that are authorized by a public corporation's governing board. This is a procedural requirement focused on transparency, not changes to insurance benefits or coverage.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires public employers to provide notice of health insurance contract changes to retirees, protecting their access to coverage information and rights under healthcare policy.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires 45-day notice for retiree health insurance changes, ensuring transparency and protecting post-employment benefits for former workers.65% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7112: Requires health districts be accredited to receive funding from the department of health

This bill requires all local health districts to become accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) in order to receive state health department funding. Health districts must register for PHAB's process within one year of the law's effective date and achieve full accreditation within four years. The law aims to improve public health service quality and accountability by tying funding eligibility to standardized accreditation. It directly affects every local health district that relies on state funding for operations and programs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareTies state funding to PHAB accreditation, requiring health districts to meet quality standards to maintain funding, thereby strengthening public health service accountability and quality.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · New York · Senate Feb 11, 2025

S 2676: Relates to step therapy protocol

This bill (S 2676) sets new rules for health insurance step therapy protocols, which require patients to try lower-cost medications first before covering more expensive options. It directly affects health insurance plans and patients needing specialty medications by limiting step therapy to no more than two drugs in the same category, capping the required trial period at 30 days (or evidence-based guidelines), and requiring insurers to accept doctors' written documentation of treatment failure as proof. The bill also prevents insurers from reapplying step therapy for patients who completed it under prior coverage or for drugs previously approved by the plan. These changes take effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareLimits step therapy to 2 drugs & 30 days, requires insurer acceptance of physician documentation, improving patient access to specialty meds.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5133: Relates to required clinical education for certain mental health practitioners

Requires clinical experience for certain mental health practitioners; allows such practitioners to make assessment-based treatment plans; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires clinical education for mental health practitioners, enhancing service quality and aligning with mental health service support indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2077: Authorizes the delivery of telehealth services in schools by licensed providers

This bill allows licensed telehealth providers to deliver health, dental, and mental health services to students within school settings. It requires providers to meet specific licensing standards, obtain parental consent, and use secure technology to protect student privacy. Schools will not bear costs for these services - funding comes from federal, state, or other existing sources - and telehealth must supplement, not replace, existing school health staff like nurses and counselors. The state must create regulations covering provider requirements, billing, technology standards, and compliance with privacy laws.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes school-based telehealth services to improve student health access without replacing staff, supplementing existing school health programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes telehealth for student health/dental/mental services, expands access without replacing staff, uses existing funding to supplement care - directly improves healthcare access and supports mental health services.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires secure technology for student privacy, directly protecting data privacy per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Mental Health Telehealth

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in committee · New York · Senate Apr 17, 2025

S 7470: Requires insurers and health plans to grant automatic preauthorization approvals to eligible health care professionals in certain circumstance

Bill S 7470 requires health insurers and plans to grant automatic preauthorization approvals to eligible health care professionals for specific services. A health care professional qualifies for this if an insurer has approved at least 90% of their preauthorization requests for that particular service during the most recent six-month evaluation period. Once a professional has automatic approval, the corresponding health care service is deemed medically necessary, and the insurer must promptly pay the full claim without denial, reduction, or retroactive recoupment. Insurers are required to conduct initial and annual evaluations to determine eligibility for these automatic approvals.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEliminates manual preauthorization delays for high-performing providers, improving patient access to medically necessary services without additional funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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