Senate bill backs call for insurers to cover gambling harm treatment in New York
The companion bill would force insurers to cover outpatient services via the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
US.- Senator Joseph Addabbo has introduced a bill in the New York Senate backing a move to force health insurers to cover the cost of the diagnosis and treatment of problem gambling in the state. Senate Bill S8352 is a companion bill to A8518, which was introduced by assemblymember Phil Steck in the Assembly last month and is under review by the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Insurance.
At the moment, most medical insurance does not cover problem gambling treatment unless the patient is also diagnosed with a substance use disorder. The proposed legislation would change this by considering problem gambling treatment on the same level as coverage for other addiction-related issues, such as drug and alcohol dependencies.
That would mean that patients could receive coverage if they seek help from outpatient services run by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), which has over 1,500 addiction prevention and treatment programmes at a dozen locations. These are currently used by an estimated 730,000 people a year.
The bill suggests that the number of people seeking help for gambling harm in New York is likely to increase as gambling expands. The state is expected to grant up to three licences for new downstate land-based casinos by the end of this year.
New York already has the largest sports betting market in the US, with wagers reaching $22.6bn in 2024. The amount of searches for related to gambling addiction have increased by 37 per cent since the launch of a regulated market in January 2022.
The bill states: “As we continue to expand gambling opportunities, we should expect an increase in New Yorkers seeking help for problem gambling. Current law does not require insurers to cover problem gambling treatment provided by OASAS-certified programs unless the person also has an associated substance use disorder. Without this change, many in need of help will be unable to find it.”
