PULSE 3/21/2025: Physicians Must Continue to Advocate on the Numerous Challenging State Budget Issues

With the Senate and Assembly having each passed their respective “one-House” Budget proposals, conference committees and “3-way” Budget negotiations have begun with the Governor’s office towards adoption of a State Budget by the April 1 state fiscal year deadline.

We thank the State Assembly and State Senate for excluding many of the problematic Executive Budget proposals opposed by MSSNY. However, these positions are not the final disposition as the Governor’s office may still push these items in negotiations. In this regard, physicians are urged to continue their advocacy to their legislators on each of these important Budget issues until a State Budget is adopted.

• Oppose Eliminating Access to Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR). Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal opposed by MSSNY 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
• Oppose Removing Important County Medical Society Review Role. Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal opposed by MSSNY 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
• Oppose Imposition of Huge New Liability Costs. Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal opposed by MSSNY to require 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: Reject Physician Cost-Share for Excess Insurance Program.
• Eliminating Physician Supervision. Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal to the proposal opposed by MSSNY 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.
• Eliminating Funding Source for CPH. Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal opposed by MSSNY 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 or delete its $990,000 annual allocation for the program but would make it harder to fund in future Budget years.