State Budget Negotiations Likely Headed to Overtime; Ongoing Physician Advocacy Needed.
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With the April 1 State Budget deadline rapidly approaching, it appears we are headed towards passage of a short Budget extender next week to give more time to the Governor, Senate and Assembly to finalize details of a State Budget. Many have speculated that the Budget will be adopted the week of April 8 before the Legislature leaves Albany for the Passover-Easter recess.
We thank the State Assembly and State Senate for excluding in its respective one-House Budgets 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. The health insurance industry is making a last-second push to urge the Legislature to adopt this measure, which if enacted would jeopardize patient access to specialty care in critical care settings all across the State and give the green light to health plans to pare down their physician networks. Please don’t let this happen! Please continue to send letters to and tweet at your legislators to oppose this measure here: Retain Physicians’ Right to IDR
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 letters to and tweets at your legislators urging them to oppose this measure: Reject Physician Cost-Share
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. Recently 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 letters to and tweets at your legislators urging them to oppose this measure here: Preserve Role of County Medical Societies
Eliminating Physician Supervision. Both the Assembly and Senate excluded the proposal opposed by MSSNY to eliminate the requirement for physician supervision of the healthcare services provided by Physician Assistants (PAs), despite the recent enactment of legislation that increases the patient care responsibilities of PAs. Please continue to send letters to and tweets at your legislators urging them to oppose this measure here: Preserve 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
