Urge Governor to Veto Latest Wrongful Death Bill and Preserve Patient Access to Healthcare
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Despite Governor Hochul vetoing similar bills three times due to their impact on wrongful death damages and liability insurance costs, nearly identical legislation (S4423/A6063) has again passed the Senate and Assembly. MSSNY has joined with 16 specialty societies to urge the Governor to again veto this legislation.
At the same time, it is imperative for physicians to individually urge the Governor to veto the Latest Wrongful Death Bill and Preserve Patient Access to Healthcare, pointing out that any legislation to update New York’s wrongful death law must be balanced to also bring down our extraordinary medical liability costs.
Please remind the Governor that this legislation is fundamentally at odds with the policy efforts of many who seek to protect and expand patient access to care. Moreover, it is even more untenable given the huge cuts to New York’s healthcare system as a result of the reconciliation bill out of Washington that will greatly increase New York’s uninsured population and create a several billion-dollar Budget gap.
In a recent opinion piece published in the Albany Times Union, MSSNY President David Jakubowicz writes, “New York already maintains the dubious distinction of being regularly ranked as one of the worst states in the country to be a physician. That is largely due to the extraordinary liability costs of practicing here: New York not only leads all other states but also exceeds California and Florida payouts combined. There are also very significant office overhead costs associated with practicing in New York.
“That’s why it is imperative that the Legislature and governor reject proposals that would exacerbate these already significant impediments to providing care in New York, particularly in underserved regions. For example, Gov. Kathy Hochul has appropriately vetoed legislation in each of the past three years that would have drastically increased awards in wrongful-death actions, and which would have increased liability premiums by 40%. She must again veto the nearly identical version of this bill that passed this year.”
Stand up for your profession and make your voice heard: plan to attend MSSNY Physician Advocacy Day on March 10, 2026.
