MSSNY Pulse: December 2, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Urge Governor Hochul to Veto Wrongful Death! Colleagues: As we approach the end of 2022, we anticipate that the Wrongful Death lawsuit expansion legislation passed by the Legislature earlier this year will be sent to Governor Hochul for her consideration within a few weeks.  Thank you to the many of you who have

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MSSNY Pulse: November 18, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Happy Thanksgiving! Colleagues: This past weekend, MSSNY Delegates to the American Medical Association (AMA) Interim Annual Conference successfully brought numerous resolutions before physicians from around the country (see article below for details).  Approximately two dozen delegates and alternates from New York attended the AMA Conference in Honolulu, listening to and speaking with other

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MSSNY Pulse: November 4, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Let’s All Make Our Voices Heard on Tuesday, November 8 Colleagues: Early voting leading to Election Day on November 8 is already underway. New Yorkers will elect a Governor, an Attorney General, a Comptroller, a US Senator, 26 US Representatives, and 213 NY state legislators. As US citizens, it is our right—and our

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MSSNY Pulse: October 28, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: The Power of Trust Colleagues: Trust is the most powerful force underlying the success of every organization. “When people trust each other, they can make decisions quickly and take risks knowing that it’s okay to fail,” says Nicole Umana, global agile innovation human intelligence office at Mars, Inc. “You need an environment in

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MSSNY Pulse: October 21, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Keep Your Finger on the Pulse of New York Medicine Colleagues: MSSNY Pulse App: Keep your finger on the pulse of New York medicine and get the latest news on demand with our new MSSNY Pulse app. When you download the app, you’ll be able to read MSSNY Pulse on your phone and

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MSSNY Pulse: October 14, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Life Long Learning: A Look in the Rear View Mirror and a Peek Ahead Colleagues: I am excited to announce a one-hour webinar on October 25 entitled Life Long Learning: A Look in the Rear View Mirror and a Peek Ahead, presented by esteemed Harvard Medical School Professor Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, MD, MACP.

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MSSNY Pulse: September 30, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: In a Gentle Way, You Can Shake the World Colleagues: In a gentle way, you can shake the world is one of my favorite quotes from Mahatma Gandhi. I enjoyed my inspiring trip to Gandhi Ashram during my recent visit to India. Gandhi was a great leader, a compassionate human, and an exemplary

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MSSNY Pulse: September 23, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Celebrates Women in Medicine Colleagues: During Women in Medicine month in September each year, we celebrate and recognize all the women physicians, residents, and medical students who inspire those around them every day and work to make health care more equitable. I’d like to honor and thank MSSNY’s thousands of superb women

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MSSNY Pulse: September 16, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Tomorrow is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day: Create Hope Through Action Colleagues: September 17 is National Physician Suicide Awareness Day (NPSADay), an opportunity to create hope through action. As physicians, we work every day to keep our patients well so they can lead happy and healthy lives. But we must remember to care

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MSSNY Pulse: September 9, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Division of Communications Activities: Effective Two-Way Communication is Open, Ongoing, Relevant Colleagues: MSSNY is here for all of us—the proud physicians of New York state. In our ongoing mission to provide members with the information and tools we all need to thrive both professionally and personally in an ever-changing practice environment, we

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MSSNY Pulse: August 26, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Medical Students Are Our Future Colleagues: Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to a few of the brightest and most brilliant incoming first-year students at Cornell Medical College. As the medical students—who are our future—begin their journey to become physician healers, I encouraged them to create a bright future for themselves

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MSSNY Pulse: August 19, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Helps Our Members Get What They Deserve Colleagues: Physicians and practices are frustrated with insurance companies denying their claims, reducing reimbursements, and demanding charts. MSSNY is here to help. You can count on us to be your voice in dealing with the insurance companies. As an example, a member recently reached out to MSSNY

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MSSNY Pulse: August 12, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Collaboration is Key to Solving Looming Crises Colleagues: MSSNY is busy this summer collaborating with all stakeholders to find appropriate solutions to multiple looming crises that strain our organizations and the people of New York. While we are still struggling with Covid-19, we are also facing the Monkeypox public health emergency, worsening regulatory

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MSSNY Pulse: August 5, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Fights Malpractice Rate Hikes and Supports Monkeypox Declaration Colleagues: Malpractice. Thanks to the many physician leaders and staff who joined our call last week regarding a possible 40% increase in malpractice premiums due to the Legislature’s passage of the Wrongful Death Bill. We discussed: the many legislative successes MSSNY won this year (telehealth

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MSSNY Pulse: July 29, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Physician Leadership During Crisis: We Need You Colleagues: As New York physicians, we are facing an unprecedented crisis with the possibility of an increase in malpractice premiums by 40%. The wrongful death lawsuit expansion bill that was passed by the legislature and will be considered by Governor Hochul will affect all businesses, municipalities,

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MSSNY Pulse: July 22, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Physicians: Urge Gov to Veto Wrongful Death Liability Expansion Colleagues: This week, my opinion piece on legislation to greatly increase amounts that can be awarded in wrongful death lawsuits was printed in the Albany (NY) Times Union (7/19).  As I wrote in my op-ed, not very long ago New York’s physicians were cheered

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MSSNY Pulse: July 15, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Promoting Self-Care and Wellness Colleagues: There is a great deal of unrest and turbulence around the world, from Japan and Sri Lanka to England. However, these moments are also shared with significant advances in science and technology. NASA released stunning photos of stars born and dying, landscapes of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with

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MSSNY Pulse: July 8, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Help Fight Our Looming Malpractice Crisis Colleagues: Physicians are facing a potential disastrous rise of up to 40% in malpractice rates as a result of a wrongful death bill passed by the State Legislature.  We need all New York State physicians to urge the Governor to veto the disastrous wrongful death expansion bill. 

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MSSNY Pulse: June 24, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Recoups 5.9 Million Dollars on Behalf of MSSNY Member in Insurance Company Takeback Colleagues: Our most memorable positive moments are moments of joy, when we feel connected or feel proud. As president of MSSNY I am fortunate to experience such feelings during my visits to various county medical society meetings. I am

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Press Releases 2022

Press Releases 2022   August 31 Vaccines are the Very Cornerstone of Public Health August 1 MSSNY Urges Biden Administration to Declare a Public Health Emergency July 1 MSSNY and New York State Ophthalmological Society Applaud Aetna Decision To Suspend Preauthorization for Cataract Surgery June 30 Medical Society Statement Supporting Legislative Efforts to Protect New Yorkers from Gun Violence June

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MSSNY Pulse: June 17, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Celebrates Juneteenth and Father’s Day Colleagues: This Sunday is Juneteenth, when the country commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. Two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Union troops arrived in Texas to take control of the state and enforce the Emancipation

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MSSNY Pulse: June 10, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: MSSNY Celebrates Pride Month Welcome to MSSNY Pulse, our updated newsletter format! Formerly called eNews, we have renamed and redesigned the newsletter so it is easier for you to find and read the information you’re looking for. Look for further changes in the coming weeks as we tweak the content and the landing

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MSSNY eNews: June 3, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Harmony, Wellness, Empowerment While we cannot predict our future, we can help to create one through our actions. We need to know who we are, including our principles and beliefs, and the culture we aspire to. As physicians, I believe that we are healers, leaders, educators and change agents. As I begin my

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MSSNY eNews: May 27, 2022

Senate and Assembly Pass Bills to Limit Insurer Interference with Patients Obtaining Needed Medications The New York State Senate passed two important measures this week supported by MSSNY to help patients overcome health insurance restrictions that may interfere with patients obtaining needed medications. Both bills were passed by the Assembly earlier this Session, so they will be sent to Governor

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MSSNY eNews: May 25, 2022

MSSNY Statement on Texas Shooting MSSNY sent the following statement to the press today: Statement Attributable to: Parag Mehta, MD President, Medical Society of the State of New York “Less than two weeks after the heartbreaking mass shooting in our own community of Buffalo, we are again distraught by yet another mass shooting. MSSNY offers our deep condolences to the victims’

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MSSNY eNews: May 18, 2022

MSSNY Continuing Push for Passage of Copay Accumulator Legislation by End of Legislative Session Physicians are urged to contact (take action) their legislators to urge the passage of legislation (A.1741/S.5299) that would prohibit health insurers from preventing patients from using copay cards or coupons to help these patients meet their often enormous deductibles. Importantly, the bill passed the New York

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MSSNY eNews: May 13, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: Looking Forward to Our In-Person HOD Meeting Next Week Colleagues: Next week’s House of Delegates meeting—our first in-person meeting since the beginning of the pandemic—will mark the end of my term as MSSNY President. I have thoroughly enjoyed my term and am proud of the work that we have collectively done to improve

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MSSNY eNews: May 6, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: Word to the Wise When Considering Malpractice Insurance Options Colleagues: As renewal season approaches, please allow me to provide a few words of advice regarding our trusted and exclusive partner at MLMIC. Formed under the auspices of the Medical Society of the State of New York in 1975 when all commercial carriers left

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MSSNY eNews: April 29, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: Measles Cases on the Rise Worldwide Colleagues: This week, UNICEF and WHO warned of a “perfect storm” of conditions for measles outbreaks in children. As physicians, we know—and as I told Fox News in an interview—the concern is that when measles cases rise, we worry not only about measles outbreaks. I explained to

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MSSNY eNews: April 27, 2022

Are Physicians Prohibited from Responding to Online Patient Reviews? Numerous websites provide information about clinicians and organizations from which patients seek health care. Some of these sites provide user-submitted reviews about practices and clinicians from patients or members of the public. Unfortunately, patient reviews are not always positive, and can sometimes be negative, inflammatory, or false. Negative or false reviews

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MSSNY eNews: April 22, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: Have Prior Auth Hassles Hindered Care for Your Patients? Colleagues: With the New York State Budget now behind us, it’s time to refocus our efforts on the six remaining weeks in the legislative session. The “Gold Card” legislation, which was introduced in the Assembly by Assemblymember John McDonald (D-Albany) and in the Senate

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MSSNY eNews: April 20, 2022

Majority of U.S. Physicians Employed by Health Systems or Corporate Entities Nearly three quarters of U.S. physicians (74%) are employed by hospitals, health systems or corporate entities as of January 1, 2022, according to new data from Avalere, in a study sponsored by the Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI) that examined physician practice trends over the three-year period between 2019 and

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MSSNY eNews: April 13, 2022

MSSNY Recoups $8,400 for Member in Insurance Take-Back A MSSNY member recently received a take-back letter from a third-party reviewer regarding four insurance claims totaling $8,400 and contacted MSSNY’s Physician Payment and Practice Director Heather Lopez for assistance. Upon her review, Heather determined that the documentation that the physician provided to the third-party reviewer indeed included the medical record that the

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BUDGET PASSED BY LEGISLATURE CONTAINS SEVERAL MEANINGFUL NEW INITIATIVES

This past weekend, the New York State Legislature and Governor Hochul completed enactment of a $220 Billion State Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23.  Of importance to physicians, it includes: Telehealth Payment Parity.  A law strongly advocated for by MSSNY (together with several specialty societies) requiring health insurers to pay equal for telehealth services that they would pay for comparable in-person

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MSSNY eNews: April 8, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: Physicians Are Worthy of the Same Compassion We Give Our Patients Colleagues: Last week, I was moved by an essay in the New York Times by Dr. Seema Jilani entitled Why So Many Doctors Treat Their Mental Health in Secret, and submitted a Letter to the Editor. Although the Times did not print

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MSSNY eNews: April 6, 2022

Physician Recoups $200,000 in Denied Insurance Payments A private practice physician in New York City recently contacted MSSNY about an insurance company reimbursement issue concerning repeatedly denied COVID- related claims. MSSNY’s Division of Physician Payment and Practice stepped in on behalf of the member physician and recouped $200,000 in unpaid claims. The MSSNY member writes: “I am the owner of

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MSSNY eNews: April 1, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr Joseph Sellers: In-Person House of Delegates Meeting in May! Colleagues: After two long years of more Zoom meetings than we care to count, we are all looking forward to once again connecting with colleagues in-person at MSSNY’s House of Delegates meeting on May 21. We’re doing things a bit differently this year—although the HOD itself

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MSSNY eNews: March 30, 2022

Happy National Doctors Day! Happy National Doctors Day to our physicians—and physicians-in-training! We salute our members who work tirelessly each day to improve the health of all New Yorkers. On February 21, 1991, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed National Doctors Day to honor the Nation’s physicians for their dedication and leadership. Following is an excerpt from President Bush’s proclamation: “More

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MSSNY eNews: March 25, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Dr. Joseph Sellers: Telehealth is Here to Stay Colleagues: This week’s AMA telehealth survey makes it clear what I think most of us already know: telehealth works for both patients and physicians—and telehealth is here to stay. Nearly 85% of physician respondents indicated they are currently using telehealth to care for patients, and nearly 70% report their

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MSSNY eNews: March 23, 2022

AMA Survey Shows Widespread Enthusiasm for Telehealth; Urges Congress to Take Note of Barriers to Care An American Medical Association (AMA) survey released today shows physicians have enthusiastically embraced telehealth and expect to use it even more in the future. Nearly 85% of physician respondents indicated they are currently using telehealth to care for patients, and nearly 70% report their

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MSSNY eNews: March 18, 2022

Ukraine Needs Our Help Colleagues: There is nothing more troubling to me than the images of the people of Ukraine suffering trauma and death for the past three weeks. War is always disturbing to us as healers. Casualties involving civilians, particularly children, are all the more tragic. Compounding the trauma of war is the loss of healthcare infrastructure as hospitals

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MSSNY eNews: March 16, 2022

New York Physician and Hospital Organizations Call on Legislature to Include Telehealth Payment Parity in Final Enacted Budget for FY 2022-23 On Tuesday, MSSNY released a joint statement from New York physician and hospital organizations to the press calling on the Legislature to include telehealth payment parity in the final enacted budget for FY 2022-23. In an interview last night

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MSSNY eNews: March 11, 2022

Physician Voices Heard in Albany this Week Colleagues: We had another successful MSSNY Physician Advocacy Day this week. On Wednesday, more than 300 MSSNY members joined us for a virtual day of advocacy. It was a productive and inspiring day for all who participated as we discussed health care policy issues important to physicians and our patients. The morning began

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MSSNY eNews: February 25, 2022

No Surprises Act Decision: Good News for Physicians and Patients Colleagues: This week brought good news for physicians and our patients. The federal court in Texas appropriately struck down regulations by HHS regarding the dispute resolution process in the No Surprises Act.  MSSNY joined other physicians in supporting the consumer protections in the No Surprises Act but challenged HHS regulations

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MSSNY eNews: February 23, 2022 – Burnout Up 5 Percentage Points for Physicians

Burnout Up 5 Percentage Points for Physicians Forty-seven percent of physicians reported feeling burned out last year, up from 42 percent in 2020, according to Medscape’s 2021 Physician Burnout & Depression. For the report, Medscape surveyed 13,069 physicians in 29 specialties from June 29-Sept. 26, 2021. Four report findings: Both male and female physicians reported higher rates of burnout in 2021

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MSSNY eNews: February 18, 2022 – Healthcare Worker Booster Requirement Will No Longer Go into Effect February 21

. MSSNY is Here to Help Make the Practice of Medicine Easier for Our Members Colleagues: I’m pleased to announce MSSNY’s newest member benefit, a partnership with Epoch Health Solutions—a healthcare practice revenue cycle consulting and compliance firm that provides physicians with the highest level of professional and personal service. Epoch can identify and resolve your issues by assessing and

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Important COVID Vaccination Program Guidance: UPDATED clinical guidance – February 17, 2022

Guidance for COVID Vaccine Providers_12_and_Older_2.17.22 Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination_5-11 Years_2.17.22 Immunocompromised_Additional_Dose_Covid19_immunization_screening_and_consent_form_2.17.22 Individuals 12 Years of Age or Older for_healthcare providers covid19 screening checklist_2.17.22 Pediatric_5-11_information_for_healthcare_providers_covid19_screening_checklist_2.17.22

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MSSNY eNews: February 11, 2022

MSSNY Testimony Regarding the Governor’s Proposed Budget Colleagues: On Tuesday, I testified on behalf of MSSNY before the NYS Assembly Committee on Ways & Means and the NYS Senate Finance Committee regarding the Governor’s proposed budget. In addition, MSSNY submitted 15 pages of written testimony. I pointed out that after two grueling years of responding to the pandemic, the physicians of

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MSSNY eNews: February 9, 2022 – Empire Plan Drastically Cutting Some Payments

NYS Empire Plan Drastically Cutting Some Payments MSSNY has received very concerning reports from some practices (primarily anesthesiologists) regarding the New York State Empire Plan drastically cutting payments since January 1 for out-of-network care delivered to state employee patients at in-network hospitals. This is likely the result of a health plan taking advantage of the implementation of the federal No

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MSSNY eNews: February 2, 2022 – United’s Failure to Pay OBS Facility Fees: Trial Begins in Federal Court

. Trial Begins in Federal Court in MSSNY/Office-Based Surgery Class Action Lawsuit Against United Regarding Failure to Pay OBS Facility Fees The trial in the action Medical Society of the State of New York et al. v. UnitedHealth Group Inc. et al, began this week in the Southern District of New York federal court with testimony from office-based surgery providers Dr. Wellington

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MSSNY eNews: January 28, 2022 – No Surprises Act: New Resource from DFS

MSSNY Welcomes New York Cancer & Blood Specialists as Our Newest Organizational Member Colleagues: I am thrilled to welcome New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS), which is based in Suffolk County, as MSSNY’s newest organizational member. My employer, Bassett Healthcare Network, was the first MSSNY organizational member back in 2000. In 2021, MSSNY had 24 organizational members and NYCBS

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MSSNY eNews: January 26, 2022

  MSSNY President Dr. Sellers Named to City & State’s Health Care Power 100 List Highlighting Influential Figures That Have Shaped New York’s Pandemic Response The City & State (NY) reports, “New York – along with the rest of the world – is about to enter its third year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.” Despite the recent Omicron surge, “there has been

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MSSNY eNews: January 21, 2022 – Gov’s Budget: What Physicians Need to Know

Gov’s Budget: What Physicians Need to Know Colleagues: I was encouraged this week by Governor Hochul’s proposed Budget, which contains several initiatives that will benefit our patients and our fellow health care workers as we approach the beginning of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Governor invests in the future of patient medical care delivery by providing significant

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MSSNY eNews: January 14, 2022 – Ready to Influence and Inspire? Become a MSSNY Social Media Ambassador

Ready to Influence and Inspire? Become a MSSNY Social Media Ambassador Colleagues: As we all know, the use of social media has become a daily activity for most of our society. To harness this important tool, MSSNY is launching a Social Media Ambassador program. We hope to use our ambassadors to help MSSNY deliver information to the physician community by using their own

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MSSNY eNews: January 19, 2022 – How Will the Governor’s Proposed Budget Impact Physicians?

. How Will the Governor’s Proposed Budget Impact Physicians? MSSNY’s Division of Government Affairs staff is continuing to pore through the thousands of pages of Budget documents contained in Governor Hochul’s proposed $216.3 Billion State Budget submitted to the State Legislature yesterday. Below is a very brief “thumbnail” of items that – at first read – are of importance to

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MSSNY eNews January 7, 2022 – Federal No Surprises Act Is in Effect: Are You Ready?

Good News from Albany Colleagues:  While many New Yorkers were busy celebrating the holidays over the last few weeks, many things were happening in the health care arena that will impact both physicians and our patients. Governor Hochul signed a few important bills in the waning days of 2021, including legislation that will provide greater accountability and transparency of the

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As Opponents of COVID Vaccine Mandate Rally in Albany Today, MSSNY Amplifies its Support of Vaccines

For Immediate Release   As Opponents of COVID Vaccine Mandate Rally in Albany Today,MSSNY Amplifies its Support of Vaccines Statement Attributable to: Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP President, Medical Society of the State of New York “MSSNY continues to be grateful for the science that has made the COVID-19 vaccines a reality. The importance of getting every eligible New Yorker vaccinated and boosted

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MSSNY eNews: January 5, 2022

. Governor Identifies Legislative Priorities in State of State Message: Supports Increased Telehealth Payments, Expanded Insurance Coverage, and Loan Support for Physicians, but also Concerning Scope Changes This afternoon, Governor Kathy Hochul presented her legislative priorities for the year in her first State of the State Address.  As outlined in her briefing book 2022StateoftheStateBook.pdf (ny.gov), among the most notable items relating to

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Medical Society Supports Gov’s Plans for State COVID-19 Mandate for School-Aged Children

For Immediate Release December 21, 2021  Medical Society Supports Gov’s Plans for State COVID-19 Mandate for School-Aged Children Statement Attributable to: Joseph R. Sellers, MD, FAAP, FACP President, Medical Society of the State of New York   “In recent press interviews, Governor Hochul said she plans to seek approval from the NYS Legislature to require COVID-19 vaccines for all school-aged children. The

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MSSNY Pulse: November 18, 2022

Message from MSSNY President Parag Mehta, MD: Happy Thanksgiving! Colleagues: This past weekend, MSSNY Delegates to the American Medical Association (AMA) Interim Annual Conference successfully