Bill > S08869

This bill mandates that certain health insurance policies, including individual, group, and blanket policies, must cover services provided by pharmacists related to contraceptives, ensuring that these services are covered at a rate no less than the current Medicaid rate for similar services. This coverage extends to all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products, including those available over-the-counter when prescribed or authorized by law, as well as voluntary sterilization procedures, patient education, counseling, and follow-up services. The bill also clarifies that if a drug or device has multiple therapeutically equivalent versions approved by the FDA, insurers are not required to cover all of them, as long as at least one is covered without cost-sharing, and that if a preferred option is unavailable or medically inadvisable, an alternative must be covered without cost-sharing, with a process for healthcare providers to request coverage for non-covered items. Importantly, this legislation also requires insurance policies to allow for the dispensing of up to a twelve-month supply of contraceptives at one time and establishes an administrative fee for pharmacists who dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives and provide related services.

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https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8869