A.352 Oppose School Information

Morris Auster, Esq.                               Division of Governmental Affairs

Senior Vice President /                    MEMORANDUM  IN OPPOSITION
Chief Legislative Counsel

ON ASSEMBLY FLOOR                     A.352 (Perry) (Ca1. #3) 

IN SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE                    S.2113 (Felder)

 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation requiring physicians and hospitals to obtain the name of the  school  attended  by school-aged  patients  and to include this information in their admission registration forms This legislation would amend the public health law to require physicians and hospitals to obtain the name of the school attended by school-aged patients and to include this information in their admission registration forms.  The Medical Society of the State of New York opposes this legislation. 

While the intent of this legislation is laudable, it would impose yet another unfunded mandate on already overstressed physician offices seeking to assure patients receive needed care amid the myriad of requirements already imposed by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers, as well as other state mandates.  These increasing mandates take more and more time away from the ability to deliver the timely care patients expect to receive.  This trend is well documented.  Indeed, a recent 2016 study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded, remarkably, that for every one hour of patient care delivered by a physician, two more must be spent on paperwork.   Moreover, these overwhelming paperwork demands is one of the major factors that is causing physicians to feel compelled to leave private practice to become employed in a large health system, which can threaten the continuity of existing physician-patient relationships.  At a time when we are seeking to assure that the hundreds of thousands of patients who have newly received health insurance coverage through New York’s Exchange are truly able to receive needed care, imposing new paperwork requirements will only create further delays and roadblocks to patients receiving care.

Based on the foregoing, the Medical Society of the State of New York opposes this legislation and urges that it be defeated. 

Respectfully submitted,
MSSNY DIVISION OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

6/13/17MMA – oppose