Your Weekly Dose of Health November 4, 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:
Open enrollment began this week for individuals and small businesses looking for healthcare in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. This week saw a spate of articles on the state of the ACA and on choosing the best plan. The New York Times ran stories on high deductible plans, the high cost of healthcare, and on choosing a plan through the marketplace.
Health Insurance giant Anthem may reconsider its participation in the ACA exchanges if business doesn’t improve.
The New York Times’ the Upshot has a map that shows Affordable Care Act insurance rates for every county country-wide.
This article in the Upshot details the high costs of not offering paid sick leave.
Here’s a reminder on the healthcare policy positions of Clinton and Trump.
State News:
New York’s online healthcare marketplace, New York State of Health, has stood out for its success among ACA marketplaces.
Senator Kemp Hannon, long time chair of the Senate Health Committee, is locked in a tight re-election campaign. The incumbent Senator unveiled his agenda for the upcoming legislative session.
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.
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.