BILL NUMBER: S1081
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the civil service law, in relation to requiring dental
insurance plans to automatically carry over a portion of the enrollee's
benefit amount for use in the succeeding year
 
PURPOSE:
To require dental insurance plans to annually carry over for the
succeeding year any unused benefit adding up to at least twenty-five
percent of an enrollee's initial benefit amount
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 Amends subdivision 2 of section 160 of the civil service law
to include a provision requiring dental insurance plans to automatically
and annually carry over any unused benefit amount of such plan in an
amount up to at least twenty-five percent of the enrollee's benefit
amount and which shall be added to the enrollee's benefit amount for the
succeeding year.
Section 2 Sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Government employees who wish to utilize their dental insurance benefits
for major procedures may not be able to do so, in part, because plans
may not allow unused benefits to carry over to succeeding years. An
enrollee's dental health fluctuates year after year: some years may
require only basic care while other years require complex oral
surgeries. Yet, those with dental plans that do not carry over unused
benefits struggle to pay for care when they most urgently need it.
Requiring a substantial portion of unused dental benefits to roll over
to succeeding years - thus allowing enrollees to save for prospective
costly procedures - will provide much needed financial stability.
Specifically, this bill will ensure that enrollees keep unused benefits
amounting up to at least twenty-five percent of their benefit plan for
succeeding years. Enrollees should not be penalized for using only what
they need; likewise, they should not be financially inhibited from seek-
ing major procedures when they do need it simply because they're barred
from accessing unused benefits from previous years.
 
LEGISLATIVE HI STORY:
2023-24: S1973 (Ramos) Died in Civil Service and Pensions
2021-22: S1173 (Ramos) Died in Civil Service and Pensions
2019-20: S4697 (Ramos) Died in Civil Service and Pensions / A6834
(DenDekker) referred to governmental employees
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

Statutes affected:
S1081: 160 civil service law, 160(2) civil service law