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2018 New York State Elections: How the Results May Impact Your Practice

For the first time in a decade and just the second time in more than 50 years, Democrats will control the New York State Senate as of January 1 with 40 of the 63 seats and a clear majority. While the Republicans have led the New York State Senate for decades, with a brief two year stint by Democrats in 2009-10, the balance of power will now shift to interesting and challenging times as the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly each offer their plans, priorities, and issues.

When Governor Cuomo proposes his 2019-2020 State Budget in early January, the Senate and the Assembly will be poised to ensure their own priorities are considered during review, amendment and negotiation procedures.The budget must be passed by April 1st. Before, during and after the budget negotiations, individual legislators and Departments from within the Administration will introduce and discuss their own "bills" of interest until session ends in mid-late June.

Important issues for physicians likely to be discussed during the upcoming legislative session include a single payer system, recreational use of marijuana, medical liability, physician assisted suicide, healthcare workforce and scope of practice issues, among many other public health related subjects. We will see a brand new, first-time Chair in the Senate Health Committee, Gustavo Rivera from the Bronx, and Assemblyman Gottfried of Manhattan will return as the Assembly Health Committee Chair.

Your Chapter, as always, will remain diligently involved in monitoring all of these proposals, and we ask you to continue to read our enews as it comes out bi-weekly in YCIA (Your Chapter in Action).

Advocacy

New White Papers from NYACP Committees Examine Geriatric Shortage, 2010 FHCDA

Two new white papers have been released by New York Chapter American College of Physicians (NYACP) Committees, one from the Geriatrics Task Force and one from the Ethics and Professionalism Committee. Details on the white papers can be read below.

The Ethics and Professionalism Committee - "New York State’s 2010 Family Healthcare Decisions Act (FHCDA): What NYACP Members Need to Know About Withholding and Withdrawing Life Sustaining Therapies for Adult Patients Without Capacity"

This white paper aims to educate practicing physicians on the New York’s 2010 FHCDA law, and clarify numerous questions surrounding the law, including: the role of guardianship, how to address conflict of interest and moral distress; when to enroll in hospice, how to implement a DNR, and when to invoke the Ethics review committee, and the process in New York State.

Read the white paper here.

The Geriatrics Task Force - "A Better Understanding of Geriatric Medicine"

This white paper outlines and advocates for geriatric-specific training in medical school and residency, as the geriatric-specific workforce capacity has decreased over the last decade. The white paper details why geriatric training is functionally different from general internal medicine training, and forecasts the need for an even greater geriatrician workforce in the near future. The paper also provides solutions to the problem, suggesting training programs for undergraduates, medical students and residents, and for higher reimbursement rates in the geriatric subspecialty. This paper is currently being used by the New York State Senate Health Committee to craft bill S.6257 (Hannon), which establishes a physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine.

Read the white paper here.

Additional News:

MLMIC's Fall 2018 Dateline

MLMIC's Fall 2018 Case Review

Warren Buffett on Protecting Physicians and Building on Success: "We're Here to Last"

Record Date Policyholders Vote to
Approve MLMIC Plan of Conversion

NYACP Legal Counsel:

Laurie Cohen, Esq., Partner at Nixon Peabody, LLP and the Chapter's Attorney provides members with support and direction through articles and answering questions relevant to general practice. Now named “Law Firm of the Year” in Health Care Law by U.S. News and World Report!