MDNews - Central New York

WHEN THE NEW York State Legislature and Congress launch their 2019 sessions this month, there will be many signifi- cant changes. In Albany, Democrats have regained control of the state Senate after being in the minority for many years. Several incumbent Republican senators on Long Island were defeated, including Senator Kemp Hannon, the long-time Chair of the Senate Health Committee. Senator Gustavo Rivera, who has been the ranking minority member, is expected to replace Hannon as Chair. Democrats retained their substantial majority in the state Assembly. In Wa shing ton, t he resu lts of t he Novemb er ele c t ion s i ncr ea s e d t he R epubl ica n m ajor it y i n t he S en at e from 51 to 53 seats. Democrats assumed control in the House of Representatives. California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is favored to be elected as Speaker of the House, a leadership position she had occu- pied many years ago. Former Assemblyman Andrew Brindisi of the Utica area won a highly contested race for the 22nd district Congressional seat defeating Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, a close ally of President Donald Trump. Brindisi has indicated that he will not back Pelosi as Speaker — a promise he made before the election and repeated after he was declared the winner. Governor Andrew Cuomo, who begins his third term as governor, will outline his objectives for this year in his annual State of the State address. Two years ago, Governor Cuomo did not deliver his State of the State Address at a joint session of the Senate and the Assembly. He resumed that practice last year. After his re-election, Governor Cuomo declared that he would not seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Some skeptics believe he will still run for president. Prior to the start of the state legislative session, the Council, the governing body of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), approved its 2019 Legislative Program, a eight-page document. MSSNY highlighted "The Need to Improve New York's Practice Climate, Health Insurance Reform, Preserving Access to Care for Injured Workers, Medical Liability Reform, Improving Care Quality and Preserving Public Health." Once again MSSNY stresses, "The exces- sive burdens associated with practicing medicine in New York are straining the ability of many patients to receive timely needed care. These burdens include ever- increasing health insurer pre-authorization and payment hassles, excessive regula- tion and enormous medical malpractice insurance costs that are exacerbated by inadequate payments from health insurers and Medicaid, and huge patient-cost shar- ing responsibilities. Threatened funding cuts from Washington could make these problems even worse." D u r i n g t he 2019 st ate Leg islative session with Democrats in the majority of the state Senate and the state Assembly, increased pressure can mount to seek pas- sage of a single payer system for New York state residents. Last year the Assembly passed a bill that would establish such a system statewide. The legislation did not come up for a vote in the state Senate but could be adopted this year in that house. Support for a single payer system is increasing in New York and elsewhere but that does mean that this will be bet- ter for patients, physicians, hospita ls and taxpayers. Assemblyman Carl Hastie will remain as Assembly Speaker. State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins will assume a new role as Senate Majority Leader. Republicans have selected the former Senate Majority Leader as their new Minority Leader. In the September primary, Senator David Valesky — who had been a member of the Independent Democratic Caucus before the caucus reunited with other Democrats in the Senate last spring. In the September primary, Valesky and most members of the caucus lost in the September prima- ries. Democrat Rachel May, a Syracuse University employee, was elected to suc- ceed Valesky. Other than Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, incumbent Republican members were re-elected in the North Country, Central New York and in the Southern Tier. Gerald "Jerry" N. Hoffman was Chief Executive Officer of the Onondaga County Medical Society from 1981 until his retire- ment on Jan. 31, 2014. He is co-author of two books, "Medical Malpractice Insurance, A Legislators View", and "The History of Local Medical Care: Celebrating Physicians of Past and Present, 1806-2006. n in Albany and Washington BY JERRY HOFFMAN BIG CHANGES M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K ■ 2 019 0 5 H E A lT H C A R E P E R S P E C T I V E ❰❰❰❰❰ 0 5

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