Senate bill · S6375 (2025-26)

Removes the requirement that consent for the payment of certain medical services must occur after such services are administered

New York State Senate

Latest action Jun 5, 2026

Sponsor: Gustavo Rivera (State Senator, District 33, Democratic/Working Families)

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From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 19, 2026. About our data

Summary

Removes the requirement that consent for the payment of certain medical services must occur after such services are administered; requires the superintendent of financial services and the commissioner of health to develop a uniform form for consent for payment; provides that any non-conforming form shall be prohibited and unenforceable.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Public Health Law.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Section 1 amends section 18-c of the Public Health law, as it relates to separate patient consent for treatment and payment for health care services, to: - Allow healthcare providers to request patients sign a consent to pay form prior to the patient receiving such services. - Requires healthcare providers to utilize a uniform patient financial liability form that would be developed by the Superintendent of Finan- cial Services, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Health (COH). - Establish that any consent to pay agreement would be prohibited and not enforceable if a patient or legal representative does not sign the standardized patient liability form. - Prohibit the financial liability form from including language that requires a patient to assume unlimited financial liability and limits liability to cost of services actually provided. -Require the financial liability to include language about a patient's ability to request a good faith estimate of the costs associated with the current or future visits. Section 3 sets an immediate effective date.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

Committee

Health · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Health · New York State Senate.

Your position on this bill

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Cosponsors

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Read on NY Senate

Democratic1

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Robert Jackson

The sponsor's argument

Why Gustavo Rivera says this is needed

The notion of a "blank check" for medical services allows licensed healthcare providers to have a patient agree to pay an unknown amount before medical services are even rendered. Unfortunately, this practice has become widely adopted by healthcare providers who are routinely requiring patients to consent to payment in advance, without a limit on the consent to pay or an estimation for the cost of treatment. As a result, healthcare providers have issued significant bills to patients, beyond what the patient expected, and have used these consent agreements to stifle challenges to the bill. Essentially, the current process does not include any limitation of liability and financial risk, allowing for a system where patients are not well informed of the potential costs associated with the care they are receiving. The "No Blank Checks for Medical Debt" Act seeks to establish a working understanding of a patient's financial liability between the licensed healthcare provider and the patient through the uniform patient financial liability form and to inform patients of their ability to receive a good faith estimate for services to be rendered. Fundamentally, the liability form is intended to create mutually under- standing between the licensed healthcare provider and the patient. Providers would still have the ability to bill patients separately, especially if new medical situations arise that were not formally captured within the liability form. We must take steps to ensure that our current system is making sure that patients are making informed decisions when it comes to their medical care and the costs associated with it, and this bill would ensure that is happening.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Health
Senate HealthMay 19, 2026Result: passed
(12) (3) (0) (0)
Vote: Committee vote · Health
Senate HealthMay 20, 2025Result: passed
(10) (3) (0) (1)

Full history

Jun 5, 2026
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
May 21, 2026
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
May 20, 2026
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
May 19, 2026
1ST Report CAL.1236
1ST REPORT CAL.1236
NY Senate
May 7, 2026
Amend and Recommit to Health
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH
NY Senate

Show full history (8 earlier events)

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate
Jun 13, 2025
In committee
COMMITTED TO RULES
NY Senate
Jun 9, 2025
Amended
AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 6375B
NY Senate
May 22, 2025
Advanced to Third Reading
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
NY Senate
May 21, 2025
2ND Report CAL.
2ND REPORT CAL.
NY Senate
May 20, 2025
1ST Report CAL.1267
1ST REPORT CAL.1267
NY Senate
May 13, 2025
Amend and Recommit to Health
AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH
NY Senate
Mar 12, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO HEALTH
NY Senate

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.