OUR BILLS

Insurance companies often fail to cover PANS treatment. We are working to change state insurance law to make sure they do.

What the bills would require

Health plans would have to cover rehabilitative treatment for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome whenever a child’s attending physician certifies in writing that the treatment is medically necessary.

The exact language, as written in S10208 and A9659
EVERY HEALTH PLAN, AND HEALTH INSURANCE ISSUER OFFERING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE IN CONNECTION WITH A GROUP HEALTH PLAN, SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR A PARTICIPANT OR BENEFICIARY WHO HAS PEDIATRIC ACUTE-ONSET NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYNDROME IF THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN OF THE PARTICIPANT OR BENEFICIARY CERTIFIES IN WRITING THE MEDICAL NECESSITY OF THAT PROPOSED COURSE OF REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT.

New York prints newly added statutory language in capital letters. The capitals are the legislature’s formatting, not emphasis.

The Bills

New York State Senate
S10208
Sponsor: Senator Pete Harckham
Status: In the Senate Insurance Committee

Read S10208 and vote Aye

New York State Assembly
A9659
Sponsor: Assemblymember Cashman
Status: In the Assembly Insurance Committee, amended to A9659A on May 6, 2026

Read A9659 and vote Aye

Register your support. Open either bill above, find the question “Do you support this bill?” in the right-hand column, click Aye, and follow the directions. It takes about thirty seconds and your support is recorded publicly on the bill’s own page.

Both bills would require health plans to cover rehabilitative treatment for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome when an attending physician certifies in writing that it is medically necessary. Bill status current as of September 2026.

History of the Bills

In 2017 a group of dedicated parents decided to make New York one of the first states to mandate PANS/PANDAS coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed their initiative, but not before they had made significant strides. Because of them, the state includes PANS/PANDAS in its health law and features it on the Health Department website. 

Versions of these bills have been introduced every year since 2017 without advancing. What has changed is the evidence behind them. PANS is now named in New York’s public health law, described on the Department of Health’s own website, and backed by the mental health, physician, and social work organizations that have written in support of S10208 and A9659.