New Law Requires Insurers to Pay for Urgent Medical Needs

Albany – Health insurers may not deny coverage for urgent medical procedures and treatments that occur during surgery under a new law signed on Thursday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The law expands the list of exceptions that insurers must pay for without prior authorization. This new law will kick in, for example, during a surgery when the doctor encounters unexpected complications, and realizes that additional treatment is immediately necessary. Rather than having to stop and wait for a new pre-authorization, the law allows the doctor to complete whichever procedure he deems necessary and bill for it afterward.

Cuomo said that the law will ensure that insurers “can no longer deny healthcare coverage for any medically necessary services or procedures just because they were not pre-authorized.”
The law will take effect in 90 days.