NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11235
SPONSOR: Seawright TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring insurers
participating in the NY state of health marketplace to offer at least
one dental plan for individuals age 65 and older
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure that seniors in our State have a wide range of dental insur-
ance plans available to them, for consideration.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill amends the Health Law, specifically the section dealing with
the "NY State of Health MARKETPLACE" to ensure that all those who offer
health insurance plans in New York, also concurrently offer at least one
dental plan for seniors, in the "MARKETPLACE" as well.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
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JUSTIFICATION:
There is a dearth of available and effective dental-based health insur-
ance plans, in general, and specifically with respect to those that
would be viable options for our seniors. Not every Senior qualifies for
Medicaid, and many seniors do not have the resources to pay for dental
care out of pocket, nor should they have to. Thus, this bill requires
that any company offering health insurance in our so called Marketplace
concurrently offer at least one dental plan for seniors as well.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
NONE.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
First of January, Next Succeeding.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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11235
IN ASSEMBLY
May 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring insurers
participating in the NY state of health marketplace to offer at least
one dental plan for individuals age 65 and older
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of
2 section 268-d of the public health law, as added by section 2 of part T
3 of chapter 57 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
4 (ii) offers at least one qualified health plan and/or other or addi-
5 tional health plans authorized for sale by the department of financial
6 services or the department in each of the silver and gold levels as
7 required by state law and offers at least one qualified dental plan or
8 dental plan approved for sale by the department of financial services
9 and/or the department for individuals age sixty-five and older,
10 provided, however, that the Marketplace may require additional benefit
11 levels to be offered by all insurers participating in the Marketplace;
12 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
13 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11752-01-5
