2017 Health Insurance Mandates
As fully insured health plans renew in 2017 benefits will be added or modified to comply with NYS State and Federal mandates. We recommend you review your plan document each year, however the following is a brief update on the upcoming changes:
- Breast cancer screening is included in the no-cost sharing services of preventative care. This includes diagnostic imaging, breast ultrasounds and MRI’s. It does not include 3-D imaging
- Heroin and Opioid Addiction controls are being put in place. Prescriptions for schedule II, III, and IV Opioids will be limited to 7 days. Refills will require the treating physician to submit a new prescription. Hopefully, this will reduce the number of unused pills sitting in medicine cabinets
- Services can be rendered and payment made to a Registered Nurse First Assistant
- Gender specific preventative services are now offered to transgender individuals regardless of sex assigned at birth. Most carriers have acknowledged there will be billing issues with this, but that they can work them out
- Telemedicine is now offered in all fully insured plans.