Enacted State Budget Takes Several Steps to Help Patients and Promote Stability for New York’s Healthcare System

For Immediate Release
May 3, 2023 

Enacted State Budget Takes Several Steps to Help Patients and Promote Stability for New York’s Healthcare System

Statement Attributable to:
Paul A. Pipia, MD,
President, Medical Society of the State of New York 

“The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) applauds the Governor and Legislature for the many positive items included in a State Budget that enhances the ability of our patients to receive the care they need and promote greater stability in our State’s struggling community health care infrastructure. Importantly, the State Budget provides targeted increases to woefully inadequate Medicaid payment rates, establishes a “guarantee fund” to pay health care claims in the event of a health insurer insolvency, requires health insurers to use appropriately trained specialists to protect against arbitrary health insurer service authorization denials that have been appealed, continues the essential Committee for Physicians’ Health to help promote physician wellness, and extends for another policy year the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program that helps to offset the staggering costs of liability insurance in New York.

“We also appreciate that the final Budget did not include several concerning items that would have jeopardized patient safety. Significantly, the Budget ensures that the patient’s physician, not a State bureaucrat, maintains the final say on prescriptions written for patients covered by Medicaid.  We also appreciate that the final Budget did not include several provisions that sought to eliminate the important oversight a trained physician can have in overseeing a patient’s care. Patients are best served by a team-based approach to our patients’ care with a skilled physician overseeing the care, rather than facilitating “silos” in our health care system.

“Physicians have expressed some concerns about requirements in the final Budget that certain mergers or acquisitions of physician practices to be reported to the State Health Department. We look forward to working with state officials to ensure that these new requirements strike a fair balance between the desire of the State to monitor these transactions with the need for medical practices to be truly able to work with partners that will enhance care quality and provide needed capital resources to help keep these struggling practices afloat to deliver essential patient care.

“The enormous overhead costs of practicing in New York, a major reason our state regularly receives the dubious distinction of one of the worst states to practice medicine, have made it made impossible for many physicians to remain in community-based practice. It is imperative that we keep options available for physicians to maintain longstanding treatment relationships with their patients.”

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Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents, and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. 

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Manager, Communications
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | [email protected]

Julie Vecchione
Vice President, Communications
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x340 | [email protected]