2026 House of Delegates Resolution Highlights

At its annual House of Delegates meeting on April 5, MSSNY passed the following significant new policy:

Support for the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement
MSSNY will support and adopt a number of Articles of the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement as our framework for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response:

Regulating Convenience Store and Gas Station Dispensaries
MSSNY will request that state and federal authorities increase their enforcement of restrictions and regulations on over-the-counter hemp derived cannabis substitutes, mushroom derivatives, kratom and other unregulated opioids, and sexual enhancement products.  MSSNY will also work with the New York State Department of Health to educate the public on the addictive and harmful nature of over-the-counter hemp derived cannabis substitutes, mushroom derivatives, kratom and other unregulated opioids, and sexual enhancement products.

Healthcare Policy and Advocacy Training for Physicians in Medical School and Residency Training
MSSNY will work with policy makers to incorporate healthcare policy and advocacy training into the curricula of medical schools and residency training of young training physicians and encourage medical schools and residency programs to provide experiential learning opportunities.  MSSNY feels that physicians should be empowered through education and advocacy training to protect the integrity of the medical profession and the welfare of the patients they serve.

Universal State Vaccine Program
MSSNY will advocate for the establishment of a statewide universal vaccine purchasing and distribution program, that provides all American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and New York Department of Health (DOH) recommended pediatric and adult vaccines to people in New York State regardless of insurance status and will work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to design a program that minimizes administrative burden and ensures vaccine access and statewide recording of vaccine status for all New Yorkers.

Excessive H-1B Visa Fees and Their Impact on Physician Workforce Capacity
MSSNY will recognize the $100,000 H 1B visa fee for physicians as a direct and ongoing threat to the United States (U.S.) physician workforce and patient access to care, and advocate for its permanent repeal or categorical exemption for physicians.

Prohibiting Health Insurer Penalties on Providers and Facilities for Use of Out-OfNetwork Physicians to Protect Patient Access to Care
MSSNY will advocate for legislation, regulation, or other intervention to prevent health insurers from threatening hospitals, health care facilities and physicians with payment cuts, administrative or penalty fee imposition, network termination, contract nonrenewal, or other negative financial consequences, if an out of network physician is involved in the treatment of care for a patient at these hospital or facilities.

Downcoding of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes
MSSNY will continue to strenuously object to the practice by health insurers of making payment on a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code that is different than the code or codes submitted by a physician for care delivered to a patient; and will seek legislation to prohibit the improper practice of health insurance plans using software, algorithms, or methodologies to deny or downcode claims for payment of patient medical services. In current circumstances where downcoding is contractually permitted, MSSNY will advocate that it must be performed by a physician who is identified to the physician submitting the claim and will support legislation that would define health plan downcoding as an adverse determination of a health insurance claim, which would provide physicians with legal rights to appeal.

The Health Technology Act of 2025 (H.R. 238) – Artificial Intelligence Technology as  Practitioner Licensed by Law
MSSNY will advocate for policies and regulations that ensure artificial intelligence be implemented as a clinical decision support tool rather than an independent diagnostic or prescribing system and MSSNY will oppose any legislation or regulation allowing for independent prescription by artificial intelligence without direct physician oversight.

Ending Cell Phone Dead Zones in New York State
MSSNY will support efforts that improve broadband and cellular access in rural New York State to enhance necessary patient-physician communications.

Removing Caps on Medical Student Loans
MSSNY will oppose caps on medical student loans to help ensure affordable access to medical school financing.

Tackling the Rural Maternal Healthcare Crisis in New York State
MSSNY will support state-wide efforts by rural health advocacy groups, specialty medical societies, health care systems, policymakers, and other stakeholders working to address the crisis in access to maternal health care services in rural New York State including policies that strengthen Medicaid reimbursement.

Protect Patient Choice and Physician Privileges at Maimonides Hospital
MSSNY will forcefully advocate to protect the full admitting and surgical privileges of private practice physicians as a necessary condition of any hospital merger or acquisition and will advocate to protect the benefit of employment for physicians, residents and fellows including preservation of salary and benefit levels and PSLF eligibility as a necessary condition of any hospital merger or acquisition. MSSNY will ask the American Medical Association Litigation Center to investigate the feasibility of any potential legal action to protect the right of private practice physicians to maintain staff and surgical privileges at any hospital as a condition of any merger or acquisition.

Timely Filing Requirements for Commercial Health Insurance Claims in New York State
MSSNY calls on New York State insurance payers and regulators (New York State Department of Financial Services) to update their provider contracts and regulations to extend the timely filing limit for all commercial health insurance claims to a minimum of 365 days from the date of service and will advocate for this change to be implemented immediately to ensure fair, prompt payment practices, thereby protecting patient access to care by reducing the administrative burden on providers.

Prohibiting Insurers from Mandating a Specific Date of Service in the Preauthorization Process for a Surgical Procedure
MSSNY will advocate for changes in New York State Health Insurance Laws and Department of Financial Services regulation to prohibit insurers from denying payment for a preauthorized surgical procedure due to a change in the date of the proposed procedure.

Telephone Preauthorization Peer Review Improvement
MSSNY will advocate for the Department of Financial Services requiring utilization review companies participating in peer review for preauthorization in New York mandate caller identification being used for telephone peer preauthorization reviews and to prevent the companies from disguising calling reviewers as spam; and advocate for the Department of Financial Services to require utilization review company physicians to leave a direct callback number to expedite the process and to avoid wasting the requesting physicians’ valuable time.

Excessive H-1B Visa Fees and Their Impact On Physician Workforce Capacity
MSSNY recognizes the $100,000 H-1B visa fee for physicians as a direct and ongoing threat to the U.S. physician workforce and patient access to care, and advocates for its permanent repeal or categorical exemption for physicians.