NY S06494

Mandates all health insurance policies providing hospital, surgical, or medical coverage to include doula services as part of required maternity care coverage

Applies to individual policies, group/blanket policies, and contracts issued by health insurance corporations in New York State

Adds doula services alongside existing requirements for licensed midwife coverage, while maintaining the provision that insurers need not pay for duplicative routine services

Takes effect 180 days after becoming law and applies to all policies issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after that date

Authorizes immediate rulemaking to implement the new requirements before the effective date