Your Weekly Dose of Health December 30, 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:

• The nation’s Doctors are split over President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Representative Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services.
• Democrats are calling for a “day of action” on January 15^th to show opposition to Republican plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. They’re planning rallies across the country.

State News:

• New data shows that hospitals with more bargaining power are paid 1.5 to 2.7 times as much for care by insurers as the lowest priced hospitals in the same market.
• Governor Cuomo this week announced new health insurance reforms intended to combat New York’s heroin and opioid addiction crisis.
• Fentanyl, a drug 100 times more powerful than morphine, has surpassed heroin as the deadliest drug on Long Island, having claimed the lives of at least 220 people there in 2016.

Upcoming Events:

• Click here for upcoming meetings, hearings and events from the state Department of Health.
• The Empire Center for Public Policy is hosting a forum, Diagnosis: Disruption – HCRA, the ACA and NY’s Coming Healthcare Storm on January 10, 2017.