Senate, Assembly One-House Budgets Reject Several Problematic Health Care Initiatives. Budget Negotiations to Ensue.
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This week, the Senate and Assembly each passed their respective “one-House” Budget proposals to frame the discussions for upcoming “3-way” Budget negotiations with the Governor’s office towards adoption of an April 1 Budget.
Both One-House Budget Proposals Rejected the Following Items Strongly Opposed by MSSNY, including:
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Eliminating Access to Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR). One-House Budgets did not include the proposal to eliminate the right of physicians to appeal Medicaid Managed Care underpayments to IDR. Please continue to send communications to your legislators to oppose this measure here: Retain Physicians’ Right to Use Independent Dispute Resolution Process in Medicaid Managed Care Claims.
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Removing Important County Medical Society Review Role. One-House proposals did not include the proposal to eliminate the historical role of county medical societies in vetting physicians to participate in the Workers’ Compensation (WC) program. This week 40 county medical societies joined MSSNY in reiterating our collective strong opposition to this proposal A.3005-Workers-Comp-Oppose-from-County-Med-Soc.pdf. Please continue to send communications to your legislators urging them to oppose this measure here: Preserve Role of County Medical Societies in Workers’ Compensation Application Process.
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Increasing Liability Costs. Both one-House proposals did not include the proposal requiring physicians to pay 50% of the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance cost – a $40,000,000 imposition on the 16,000 physicians with Excess coverage, which would be on top of the already outrageously high medical liability insurance premiums they already pay. Please continue to send communications urging legislators to oppose this measure here: Reject Physician Cost-Share for Excess Insurance Program.
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Eliminating Physician Supervision. Both One-House proposals did not include the proposal to eliminate the requirement for physician supervision of the healthcare services provided by Physician Assistants (PAs). Please continue to send communications urging your legislators to oppose this measure here: Preserve Physician-led, Team-based Healthcare.
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Eliminating Funding Source for CPH. Both one-House proposals did not include the proposal to transfer the registration of physicians and PAs from the State Education Department to the Health Department. The Executive Budget proposal deleted the component of the biennial physician registration fee that is specifically set aside to fund the essential substance abuse counseling services provided to physicians in need through MSSNY’s Committee for Physicians Health (CPH) program. It does not repeal the CPH program but would make it harder to fund in future Budget years.
Support for Fixing the Unworkable Consent Law. Unfortunately, both one-House Budgets did not include the proposal supported by MSSNY in Part L of the HMH that would revise the unworkable provider financial consent requirement enacted last year (currently “on hold”) that consent for payment from the patient be received after services are delivered. Please urge your legislators to support including this measure as the final State Budget is being negotiated. Revise Requirement to Obtain Patient Consent to Bill After Services Delivered.
Other Provisions of Note. Importantly, both the Assembly and Senate one-House Budget proposals included the annual $990,000 funding level for MSSNY’s Committee for Physicians’ Health program and $50 million in new funding to enhance physician Medicaid payments, similar to what had been proposed in the Executive Budget.
