MSSNY Fights for Legislation to Provide Physicians Due Process when a Health Insurer Does Not Renew Their Contract
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This week the New York State Senate passed legislation supported by MSSNY (S.1911-A, Rivera), which would amend the Public Health Law to provide physicians with due process protection when a health insurer seeks to terminate a physician from its network by failing to renew a contract. Current law prohibits insurers from terminating a physician’s contract without a written explanation and an opportunity for a hearing before a three-member panel including a clinical peer in the same or similar specialty. Such protection does not apply for non-renewals.
In addition to protecting physicians from being arbitrarily non-renewed from an insurance network, this legislation also requires that a hearing panel includes one member appointed by the subject of the hearing, one by the insurer and a third member appointed by the other two.
This legislation would provide physicians with important due process protection, and it is currently before the NYS Assembly for consideration. Now that the State Budget has been adopted, MSSNY’s advocacy focus for the end of Session will include promoting the passage of the same-as Assembly legislation (A8052, Lavine) prior to the Legislature’s session adjournment tentatively scheduled for June 12, 2025.
