Your Weekly Dose of Health December 16, 2016
** As you may be aware, step therapy, or “fail first” legislation, A.2834D (Titone) / S.3419C (Young), passed the NYS Senate and Assembly in the final week of the Legislative Session. Please take the time to call Governor Cuomo at 518-474-8390 and urge him to sign this legislation into law, as it’s in the best interest of New York patients and providers! Click here for more information on step therapy.
National News:
- House Republicans this week said that their plan for replace the Affordable Care Act was guaranteeing “universal access” to healthcare. The repeal of the ACA may only take months, but the replacement could take years to develop and finalize.
- President Obama this week signed the 21st Century Cures Act, Vice President Biden’s “cancer moonshot.” The bill passed last week with overwhelming support from both parties.
State News:
- The Cuomo Administration is expanding the state’s medical marijuana program by adding additional growers to the system. The Health Department has also added chronic pain to its list of ailments that can be treated with marijuana.
- New York State’s uninsured rate has fallen by 40% since the Affordable Care Act was enacted.
City News:
- New York City expanded its program to combat gun violence, committing $23.4 million in funding for FY2017.
- First Lady Chirlane McCray this week launched a new mental healthcare coalition called Cities Thrive. The national coalition is focused on mental health reforms on the local and national level.
- A poll done by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease shows that a significant amount of New Yorkers are paying more and more for insurance while experiencing less coverage.
Upcoming Events:
- Click here for upcoming meetings, hearings and events from the state Department of Health.