Senate Acts to Protect Access to Reproductive Healthcare, Strengthen Privacy and IVF Coverage

Amending The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program: This bill, S.135, sponsored by Senator Cleare, would amend the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program to provide practical support including reimbursement for travel, meals and lodging to individuals accessing abortion care.

Preventing a Conditional Requirement for Subsequent IVF Cycle Coverage: This bill, S.3155, sponsored by Senator Cooney, would prohibit commercial insurers from requiring women 35 or older to transfer all embryos from a previous IVF cycle as a condition of covering a subsequent cycle.

Restricting the Disclosure of Sensitive Health Information: This bill, S.1633A, sponsored by Senator Fernandez, would require electronic health record systems to allow patients to restrict the disclosure of their personal health information.

Establishing a Statewide Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health Program: This bill, S.5981, sponsored by Senator Fernandez, would establish a statewide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health program to ensure low-income, uninsured and underinsured New Yorkers can continue accessing affordable primary and preventive sexual and reproductive health services.

Advancing Equal Access to Fertility Care Act: This bill, S.4497, sponsored by Senator Hinchey, would require commercial insurance policies to cover fertility preservation services.

Exempting Certain Medication Abortion Drugs from Being Considered an Act of Criminal Diversion: This bill, S.8544, sponsored by Senator Hinchey, would exempt the prescription, dispensation, or receipt of a brand name or generic medication abortion drug from being considered an act of criminal diversion, provided the labeling of such drug was true and accurate at the time of manufacture, and provided such drug was recommended by World Health Organization guidelines for its prescribed purpose.

The New York State Abortion Clinical Training Program Act: This bill, S.1438A, sponsored by Senator Krueger, would establish a clinical training program through the Department of Health (DOH) for the purpose of training healthcare practitioners in the performance of abortion procedures and related reproductive healthcare services.

Prohibiting Using Certain Reproductive Health Decisions as Evidence: This bill, S.8860, sponsored by Senator May, would, in certain legal proceedings, prohibit the consideration of evidence that either parent has ever obtained or attempted to obtain reproductive health services relating to the termination of a pregnancy.

Permitting Omission of Certain Information on Labeling of Medication Abortion Prescription Drugs: This bill, S.8656A, sponsored by Senator Mayer, would allow pharmacists and prescribers filling prescriptions to exclude certain identifying information from the prescription labels of abortion medication.

Establishing The Equity in Fertility Treatment Act: This bill, S.8866, sponsored by Senator Salazar, would require certain health plans cover three completed donor egg retrievals for IVF with unlimited embryo transfers; prohibit plans from denying IVF coverage based on a consumer's participation in fertility preservation services; and codify DFS guidance that requires coverage of IVF services for same-sex couples.

Requiring Coverage for Contraceptive-Related Pharmacist Services: This bill, S.8869, sponsored by Senator Skoufis, would require certain health insurance policies include coverage for services provided by pharmacists related to contraceptives.

Reimbursing FQHCs for Injectable Fertility Drugs: This bill, S.8257A, sponsored by Senator Sutton, would require the state to reimburse federally qualified health centers for injectable fertility drugs.

Authorizing Pharmacists to Administer Injections for Contraceptive Use: This bill, S.1703, sponsored by Senator Webb, would authorize pharmacists to administer injections for contraceptive use as prescribed by a licensed prescriber acting within the scope of their practice.

Requiring Emergency Contraception Availability at SUNY and CUNY: This bill, S.2058, sponsored by Senator Webb, would require each SUNY and CUNY institution to have at least one vending machine that sells emergency contraception.