Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2015/s8139
Timestamp: 2020-07-11 17:34:58
Document Index: 663639238

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3309', '§ 3216', '§\n3331', '§ 367', '§ 19', '§ 3381']

ordered to third reading cal.1896
BILL NUMBER:  S8139
to providing training in pain management for certain individuals (Part
A); to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing coverage for
medically necessary inpatient services for the diagnosis and treatment
of substance abuse disorder (Part B); to amend the public health law,
the social services law, and the insurance law, in relation to
limiting initial prescriptions for opioids to a seven-day supply (Part
C); and to amend the mental hygiene law and the public health law, in
relation to the dissemination of information by pharmacists to
customers regarding controlled substances and counseling for
individuals purchasing syringes (Part D)
The purpose of this bill is to reqUire continuing medical education on
pain management by physicians and other healthcare providers, to
mandate insurance coverage for needed inpatient treatment services, to
limit opioid prescriptions from 30-day supplies to 7-day supplies, and
to require pharmacists to provide additional education and counseling
to those receiving opioids.
Section 1 of this bill would require physicians and other individuals
authorized to prescribe opioids by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration to complete mandatory three hours of coursework on pain
management, palliative care, and addiction every three years by
amending Pub. Health L. § 3309-a. Certain exemptions would apply.
Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this bill would break down barriers to
inpatient opioid treatment by requiring insurance companies to: (i)
provide insurance coverage, without prior authorization, for inpatient
services for the diagnosis and treatment of a substance use disorder
as long as needed; and (ii) only conduct a utilization review,
including retrospective review, commencing on or after the fifteenth
day by amending Ins. L. §§ 3216(i)(30), 3221(1)(6), and 4303(k).
Patients would also be held harmless for any costs, other than
copayments or coinsurances, for the provision of these services.
Section 4 would set forth the effective date of the bill.
Section 1 of this bill would prohibit doctors from prescribing
schedule II, III, or IV opioids in an amount greater than a seven-day
supply (from the current law of 30-days) by amending Pub. Health L. §
3331(5).
Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this bill would amend the insurance law to
provide that consumers shall remain eligible for coverage up to a
30-day supply but only pay a single copayment for this amount of
medication or instead a copayment proportionate to the amount of
medication received at a given time.
Section 5 of this bill would amend Soc. Serv. L. § 367-a(6) to provide
that customers of managed care organizations only be required to pay a
copayment that is in proportion to the amount of medication that they
Section 6 would make the bill effective on the 30th day after
Section 1 of this bill would amend Men. Hyg. L. § 19.09 to require the
to create educational materials that would be disseminated by a
pharmacist to a consumer at the time the consumer receives his or her
prescription of controlled substances (OASAS). This section would also
allow that such materials be disseminated electronically at the
request of the consumer, and would require OASAS to post the
Section 2 of this bill would amend Pub. Health L. § 3381(5) to
authorize pharmacists to offer counseling and referral services to
individuals purchasing hypodermic needles.
Section 3 would make the bill effective immediately.
current heroin and opioid crisis, including requiring prescriber
education and providing insurance coverage for necessary inpatient
services for the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorder.
While legally prescribed medications play an important role in the
treatment and management of pain, it is critical that prescribers
receive updated education on these medications, their use, and
potential associated risks for patients. This bill would require
certain prescribers to complete three hours of coursework on pain
management, palliative care, and addiction every three years. Since
many types of health care professionals have the ability to prescribe
opioids, this requirement would apply to physicians, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, podiatrists, dentists, and
Any person who needs inpatient medical services at a detoxification or
treatment facility must first receive prior approval from their
insurance company before they can be admitted. This process can take
several days and prevents individuals from getting timely access to
treatment. Further, even after admission to a facility, insurers can
immediately conduct clinical reviews to determine if inpatient
treatment remains necessary. These processes take valuable time away
from clinical staff and serve as a barrier for people trying to access
inpatient treatment. This bill would eliminate prior authorization for
necessary inpatient treatment services to get patients in the door of
a treatment facility and would only allow insurers to commence
utilization review after fourteen days.
While New York has made strides towards reducing "doctor shopping"
through I-STOP and the prescription monitoring program, over
prescribing continues, and admissions to OASAS certified treatment
programs for opioids increased 20 percent from 2011 to 2015. The
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued its
"Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain" recommending that
"when opioids are used for acute pain, clinicians should prescribe the
lowest effective dose of immediate-release opioids and should
prescribe no greater quantity than needed for the expected duration of
pain severe enough to require opioids. Three days or less will often
be sufficient; more than seven days will rarely be needed."
To limit access to unused medication and reduce the likelihood that a
patient with a prescription may become addicted to opioids, this bill
would limit the initial prescription of an opioid to no more than a
7-day supply, with exceptions for chronic pain, cancer, and palliative
Pharmacists play a critical role in educating consumers about
prescription pain medications before a consumer becomes addicted. This
bill would require pharmacists to educate consumers about the risk of
addiction and available treatment resources for substance use
Further, a pharmacist should be able to counsel individuals seeking to
purchase hypodermic needles. This bill would authorize a pharmacist to
counsel a person purchasing hypodermic needles on preventing drug
abuse, the availability of drug abuse treatment services, preventing
and treating Hepatitis C, and testing for the human immunodeficiency
applicable effective date of Parts A through D of this act shall be as
Introduced  by Sen. MURPHY -- (at request of the Governor) -- read twice
in pain management for certain individuals  (Part  A);  to  amend  the
insurance  law, in relation to providing coverage for medically neces-
sary inpatient services for the diagnosis and treatment  of  substance
abuse  disorder  (Part  B); to amend the public health law, the social
services law, and the insurance law, in relation to  limiting  initial
the  mental  hygiene law and the public health law, in relation to the
dissemination of information by  pharmacists  to  customers  regarding
controlled   substances  and  counseling  for  individuals  purchasing
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