New York State Posts Marijuana Coverage Ruling

If a doctor in New York state gives a patient a checkup that normally would be covered and also gives the patient certification to use medical marijuana, the patient’s health plan has to pay for the checkup.

The health plan cannot deny reimbursement for the checkup, or for other necessary covered services, simply because the patient also received certification to use medical marijuana.

— (Related on ThinkAdvisor: Coming in 2017: More pot-smoking life insurance policyholders)

Lisette Johnson, the chief of the New York department’s health bureau, gave the state’s health insurers that advice today in a new circular letter.