S 998 NY
Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system
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Summary
This bill permits workers' compensation recipients to receive mental and behavioral health services through telemedicine, including psychological testing, treatment, and counseling provided by psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers. The law would require one in-person visit within twelve months of the first video telemedicine visit or within six months of the first audio-only telemedicine visit. However, the in-person visit requirement may be waived if the provider determines it would disrupt service delivery or worsen the patient's condition, or if it would create undue hardship on the patient or their family. Undue hardship includes consideration of travel costs, financial burden, or unreasonable physical or mental distress caused by attending the in-person appointment.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system; permits one in-person visit within twelve months unless such in-person visit causes undue hardship on a patient.
Sponsor (1)
- Samra Brouk Democratic · primary
2 coauthors / cosponsors
- Cordell Cleare Democratic · cosponsor
- Patricia Fahy Democratic · cosponsor
Action history (6)
- Jan 8, 2025 REFERRED TO LABOR · upper
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO LABOR · upper
- May 5, 2026 1ST REPORT CAL.983 · upper
- May 6, 2026 2ND REPORT CAL. · upper
- May 7, 2026 ADVANCED TO THIRD READING · upper
- May 29, 2026 SUBSTITUTED BY A949 · upper
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S00998 Summary: BILL NO S00998   SAME AS SAME AS A00949
  SPONSOR BROUK   COSPNSR CLEARE, FAHY   MLTSPNSR   Amd §13-m, Work Comp L   Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system; permits one in-person visit within twelve months unless such in-person visit causes undue hardship on a patient.
Go to top S00998 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
998
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sen. BROUK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to permitting telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 13-m of the workers' compensation law is amended by 2 adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows: 3 15. Telehealth visits for psychological testing, treatment and coun- 4 seling by psychiatrists, psychologists and licensed clinical social 5 workers shall be permitted with one in-person visit within twelve months 6 of the first video telehealth visit and within six months of the first 7 audio-only telehealth visit unless (a) in the provider's professional 8 judgment, an in-person visit service is likely to cause disruption in 9 service delivery or has the potential to worsen the patient's condition, 10 or (b) would create undue hardship upon the patient or such patient's 11 family. A finding of undue burden shall include consideration of whether 12 travel to and from the in-person visit would cause undue financial 13 burden or unreasonable physical or mental distress. 14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01455-01-5
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