Bill > A07553

This bill expands health insurance coverage protections for developmentally disabled individuals beyond age twenty-six. Specifically, the bill requires insurance companies to extend coverage indefinitely for unmarried dependent children who are incapable of self-sustaining employment due to developmental disabilities, mental illness, or physical disabilities, provided these conditions existed prior to the typical age when dependent coverage would terminate. The legislation mandates that insurers cannot terminate such coverage based on age, employment, or marital status. Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement that insurers can only request recertification of the dependent's condition once every five years, unless there is a substantial change in the individual's condition. Insurance companies that knowingly and wrongfully violate these provisions may face civil penalties of up to ten thousand dollars per violation. The bill applies to individual and group health insurance policies, and will take effect on January 1, 2026, applying to policies issued, renewed, or modified on or after that date. This legislation aims to provide long-term security and healthcare access for developmentally disabled individuals who cannot independently support themselves.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7553