S2644 • 2025

Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
Last action: 2026-06-05
Official status: In Senate Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services

Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services if an insured was covered for such services at the time treatment was initiated; requires insurers to notify a treatment provider when an insured has lost coverage based on termination of the insured's employment.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services if an insured was covered for such services at the time treatment was initiated; requires insurers to notify a treatment provider when an insured has lost coverage based on termination of the insured's employment.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-06-05 Senate
COMMITTED TO RULES
2026-02-05 Senate
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
2026-02-04 Senate
2ND REPORT CAL.
2026-02-03 Senate
1ST REPORT CAL.217
2026-01-07 Assembly
DIED IN ASSEMBLY
2026-01-07 Assembly
RETURNED TO SENATE
2026-01-07 Senate
REFERRED TO INSURANCE
2025-06-11 Senate
PASSED SENATE
2025-06-11 Senate
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
2025-06-11 Assembly
REFERRED TO INSURANCE
2025-05-28 Senate
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
2025-05-27 Senate
2ND REPORT CAL.
2025-05-22 Senate
1ST REPORT CAL.1278
2025-05-05 Senate
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS
2025-01-22 Senate
REFERRED TO INSURANCE

Official Summary Text

Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services
Prohibits the retrospective denial of payment for substance use disorder treatment services if an insured was covered for such services at the time treatment was initiated; requires insurers to notify a treatment provider when an insured has lost coverage based on termination of the insured's employment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2644

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                    January 22, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen. ADDABBO -- 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 prohibiting the retro-
          spective denial  of  payment  for  substance  use  disorder  treatment
          services

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new  section  3246
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  3246.  RETROSPECTIVE  DENIAL  OF  PAYMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
     4  TREATMENT SERVICES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY  OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW,  ANY
     5  RETROSPECTIVE  DENIAL  OF  PAYMENT  OF  SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT
     6  SERVICES PROVIDED THAT ARE BASED ON THE INSURED INDIVIDUAL'S ELIGIBILITY
     7  SHALL BE PROHIBITED AFTER THE PROVIDER HAS  VERIFIED  WITH  THE  INSURER
     8  THAT THE INSURED HAS COVERAGE FOR SUCH TREATMENT AT THE TIME SUCH TREAT-
     9  MENT  WAS  INITIATED. THE INSURER SHALL IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE TREATMENT
    10  PROVIDER WHEN AN INSURED HAS LOST COVERAGE BASED ON TERMINATION  OF  THE
    11  INSURED'S  EMPLOYMENT  AND  PROVIDED,  FURTHER,  THAT DENIAL OF COVERAGE
    12  SHALL BE BASED ON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND SHALL NOT  BE  BASED  ON
    13  SUSPENSION  OF  EMPLOYMENT. FAILURE OF THE INSURER TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY
    14  THE TREATMENT PROVIDER OF SUCH TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT SHALL  PRECLUDE
    15  ANY  RETROSPECTIVE  REVIEW  BASED  ON  THE INSURED'S ELIGIBILITY.   THIS
    16  SECTION SHALL BE APPLICABLE TO  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  HEALTH  INSURANCE
    17  PROGRAM.
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.



         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07028-01-5