STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6773 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to removing the requirement that consent for the payment of certain medical services must occur after such services are administered The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 18-c of the public health law, as added by section 2 4 of part O of chapter 57 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 § 18-c. Separate patient consent for treatment and payment for health 5 care services. Informed consent from a patient to provide any treatment, 6 procedure, examination or other direct health care services shall be 7 obtained separately from such patient's consent to pay for the services. 8 Consent to pay for any non-emergency health care services by a patient 9 shall not be given prior to [the patient receiving such services and] 10 discussing treatment costs. For purposes of this section, "consent" 11 means an action which: (a) clearly and conspicuously communicates the 12 individual's authorization of an act or practice; (b) is made in the 13 absence of any mechanism in the user interface that has the purpose or 14 substantial effect of obscuring, subverting, or impairing decision-mak- 15 ing or choice to obtain consent; and (c) cannot be inferred from 16 inaction. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10497-02-5