S6168A-2011 Actions

• May 21, 2012: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• May 10, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 6168A
• May 10, 2012: AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO INSURANCE
• Jan 9, 2012: REFERRED TO INSURANCE

S6168A-2011 Meetings

S6168A-2011 Votes

S6168A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6168A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to authorizing health
insurance reimbursement for certified registered nurse anesthetists
providing anesthesia services

PURPOSE:
Allows for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAS) to be
eligible for reimbursement under any policy which provides coverage
for anesthesia services at the discretion of the insurer.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the insurance law allows that at the discretion of
the insurance company anesthesia services provided b a CRNAS may be
eligible for reimbursement under any policy which provides for
coverage for anesthesia services.  Section also defines CRNAS.

Section 2 amends the insurance law allows that at the discretion of
the insurance company anesthesia services provided b a CRNAS may be
eligible for reimbursement under any policy which provides for
coverage for anesthesia services. Section also defines CRNAS.

Section 3 amends the insurance law allows that at the discretion of
the insurance company anesthesia services provided by CRNAS may be
eligible for reimbursement under any policy which provides for
coverage for anesthesia services. Section also defines CRNAS.

Section 4 is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAS) are masters prepared
nurses who are required to undergo a rigorous educational program,
including clinical experience and training and pass a national exam in
order to obtain certification. CRNAs provide safe and cost effective
anesthesia services to patients. However, without the ability to apply
for health insurance coverage, CRNAs are not assured reimbursement for
these services.  In rural and underserved healthcare areas, CRNAs are
often the main providers of anesthesia services, rendering this
nursing specialty absolutely critical to ensuring patient access to
affordable, quality care. Under the current law, a patient's health
insurance is not required to cover anesthesia services provided by a
certified registered nurse anesthetist, even if the service would
otherwise be covered. This imposes an extreme financial inequity and
disincentive on the profession. It is only exacerbated in rural and
poor economic areas. This bill seeks to address that by giving
insurance companies the opportunity include coverage for anesthesia
services provided by certified registered nurse anesthetists.  CRNAs
provide the safest level of patient care at the lowest cost to the
patient and the system. A 2010 study published in Nursing Economics
found that there is no difference in patient outcome when care is
provided by CRNAs as compared with anesthesiologists, and revealed
that CRNA independent delivery is not only the least costly method of
providing anesthesia, but that it also generates the greatest net
revenue.


PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect January 1, 2013 and shall apply to policies
and contracts issues, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or
after such effective date.

S6168A-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 6168--A
 I N  SENATE
 January 9, 2012
 
 Introduced  by Sen. GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Insurance  --  committee
 discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
 to said committee
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the insurance law, in relation to authorizing health
 insurance reimbursement for certified  registered  nurse  anesthetists
 providing anesthesia services
 

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

 

Section 1.  Paragraphs 27 and 28 of subsection (i) of section 3216  of
 the  insurance  law, paragraph 27 as added by chapter 536 of the laws of
 2010 and paragraph 28 as added by chapter 589 of the laws of  2011,  are
 renumbered  paragraphs  29 and 30 respectively and a new paragraph 31 is
 added to read as follows:

 (31) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
 A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR  REIMBURSE
 MENT  UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR ANESTHESIA
 SERVICES.   PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN  SHALL  BE
 CONSTRUED  TO  REQUIRE  AN  INSURER  TO REIMBURSE BOTH A PHYSICIAN AND A
 CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE  SAME  ANESTHE
 SIOLOGY  SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST" AS
 USED IN THIS PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON  WHO  HAS  SATISFACTORILY
 COMPLETED  EDUCATIONAL  PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES IN A
 PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR  IN  A  PROGRAM
 ACCREDITED  BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 OR DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE  EQUIVALENT;  AND
 SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
 NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
 

S 2. Subsection (1) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
 adding a new paragraph 19 to read as follows:

 (19) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
 A CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR  REIMBURSE
 MENT  UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR ANESTHESIA
 SERVICES.   PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN  SHALL  BE
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11840-04-2
 
       S. 6168--A                          2
 CONSTRUED  TO  REQUIRE  AN  INSURER  TO REIMBURSE BOTH A PHYSICIAN AND A
 CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE  SAME  ANESTHE
 SIOLOGY  SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST" AS
 USED  IN  THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHALL  MEAN  A  PERSON WHO HAS SATISFACTORILY
 COMPLETED EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES  IN  A
 PROGRAM  REGISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR IN A PROGRAM
 ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION
 OR  DETERMINED  BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
 SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
 NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
 

S  3.  Subsections (gg) and (hh) of section 4303 of the insurance law,
 subsection (gg) as added  by  chapter  536  of  the  laws  of  2010  and
 subsection  (hh) as added by chapter 589 of the laws of 2011, are renum
 bered subsections (ii) and (jj) respectively and a new  subsection  (kk)
 is added to read as follows:

 (KK) AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSURER, ANESTHESIA SERVICES PROVIDED BY
 A  CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSE
 MENT UNDER  ANY  POLICY  WHICH  PROVIDES  FOR  COVERAGE  FOR  ANESTHESIA
 SERVICES.    PROVIDED  HOWEVER,  THAT  NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE
 CONSTRUED TO REQUIRE AN INSURER TO REIMBURSE  BOTH  A  PHYSICIAN  AND  A
 CERTIFIED  REGISTERED  NURSE ANESTHETIST FOR PROVIDING THE SAME ANESTHE
 SIOLOGY SERVICES.  THE TERM "CERTIFIED REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETIST"  AS
 USED  IN  THIS  SUBSECTION  SHALL  MEAN  A PERSON WHO HAS SATISFACTORILY
 COMPLETED EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR PROVISION OF THESE SERVICES  IN  A
 PROGRAM  REGISTERED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  OR IN A PROGRAM
 ACCREDITED BY A NATIONAL BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION
 OR  DETERMINED  BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE EQUIVALENT; AND
 SUBMIT  EVIDENCE  OF  CURRENT  CERTIFICATION  OR  RECERTIFICATION  BY  A
 NATIONAL CERTIFYING BODY, RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
 

S  4.  This  act  shall take effect January 1, 2013 and shall apply to
 policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended  on
 or after such effective date.

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