Your Weekly Dose of Health October 28, 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:

  • Many people are not buying health insurance through the online Affordable Care Act marketplaces in the numbers predicted even though they face a stiff penalty for remaining uninsured. This is at least a part of the reason premiums are set to sharply rise next year on some of the exchanges.

State News:

  • Open enrollment for individuals and small groups begins in New York on November first and extends through January 31st. Premiums are increasing by an average of 16.6 percent.

City News:

  • This article from CNN details the work of community health workers who help patients in New York City.
  • Dr Mary Bassett spoke about the role race plays in public health issues as she accepted the Frank A Calderon prize, given to those who make a “transformational contribution in the field of public health.”
  • New York City’s Independent Budget Office released a report detailing how sick leave usage varies across the workforce.

Upcoming Events:

  • NYSHealth, The New York Academy of Medicine and NYU Langone Medical Center’s Department of Population Health are sponsoring the fourth annual Population Health Summit on December 12th. Abstract submissions are due October 31st.
  • The United Hospital Fund and GNYHA Foundation are hosting the 27th Annual Symposium on Health Care Services in New York: Research and Practice on November 15th at the CUNY Graduate Center.
  • Click here for upcoming meetings, hearings and events from the state Department of Health.