Mental health bills face final push before session ends
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)—Before lawmakers go back to their districts, Senator Nathalia Fernandez is pushing for her mental health bill that would amend insurance law, to make it over the finish line.
“It increases access to appropriate care by requiring health care insurers to make medically necessary determinations with medical and scientific evidence,” said Fernandez.
According to the Senator, her bill will also stop insurance companies from changing a medical necessity determination made by a utilization review agent.
“There has been times, too many times, that when a service is provided and covered, all of a sudden they will say this wasn’t medically necessary so we need you to pay back for those services. That will stop today if we pass this bill,” said Fernandez.
Another bill mental health advocates would like to see a passed, is sponsored by Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. She said it would codify federal protections to provide equal care for mental health and physical health.
“The legislation would give state regulators the tools to enforce those fair standards and accountability so that insurance companies have to provide equal coverage.”
When Simon was asked if her bill has bipartisan support, she said, “I believe it has bipartisan support there is a lot of bipartisanship when it comes to mental health issues.”
The New York Health Plan Association released a statement against bills saying in part, “These bills are unnecessary as state law requires that medical necessity guidelines be developed with input from Board-certified, actively-practicing physicians within a plan’s service area, and allied health professionals from the medical specialties and subspecialties, as well as utilizing standards adopted by national accreditation organizations. “
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