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2024 A Legislative Year in Review: Key Wins, Challenges, and Outcomes

•  15,000+ Bills Introduced
•  Almost 300 Bills Monitored by NYACP
•  50 Bills Chaptered (signed into law) or Vetoed by Gov. Hochul

Action on NYACP Priority Bills
(View All Bills with Action)

Vetoed

For the third consecutive year, the Wrongful Death/Grieving Families Act (A.9232/S.8485) remained a top priority for NYACP and a major concern and distraction. Thank you to all the members who stayed in the fight again this year.  Your responses to the Call-to-Action requests, letters, emails, and participation in the statewide Phone-A-Thon Campaign on October 25, 2024 paid off!  

Governor Hochul vetoed the bill on December 21, 2024. While NYACP members are again grateful for the veto, it doesn’t solve the basic need for comprehensive liability reform in New York State, including a reasonable cap on non-economic damages.  Additional advocacy is needed, and NYACP welcomes an opportunity to work with the Governor on this issue.

The Physician Assistants as Practitioners bill (S.2124/A.7725) would have allowed physician assistants to serve as primary care practitioners for Medicaid managed care plans, but the bill was vetoed by the Governor.

Chaptered (Signed into Law)

Step Therapy (A.901/S.1267) passed the Senate and Assembly and was Chaptered on 12/21/24.

NYACP’s new Climate Change Task Force was delighted to hear that the Climate Change Superfund Act (A.3351/S.2129) was signed into law on 12/26/24.

A.8378/S.9038 is a bill, signed into law on 11/22/24, to modernize Physician Assistant Practice Standards, permitting physicians to supervise no more than six PAs within a private practice at once and no more than eight PAs with a practice for the Department of Corrections and Community Service.

Did Not Advance

The Primary Care Investment Act (S.1197/A.8592) didn’t pass the Assembly or Senate this year despite significant effort and collaboration.

The Health Care Professional Transparency Act (S.9214/A.10009) failed to generate the activity necessary to make a difference this year.

The Telehealth (S.6733/A.7316) bill, aimed to correct the methodology by which Medicaid reimburses community health centers for telehealth services, will need to be refiled next year.

The NYSIIS Registry bill (A.7154/S.5131), an adult vaccination reporting system, passed the Assembly in 2024 but not the Senate.

Additional Bills Monitored by NYACP and Chaptered in 2024

• A.8521/S.8062 – remote conduct witnessing health care proxies (Chaptered 2/7/24)
• A.7872/S.8632-A – health care proxy information and palliative care patients (Chaptered 11/22/24)
• A.8536/S.8009 – relates to DNR orders (Chaptered 2/7/24)
• A.8512/S.8024 – physician coursework in nutrition (Chaptered 3/1/24)

 
Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address:  Impact on Healthcare
Isabella Newman, MD – NYACP’s Advocacy Program Intern

In her 2025 State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her agenda, which focused primarily on affordability, public safety, and workforce development in New York. Primary care or internal medicine weren’t directly addressed, but many of the efforts outlined impact the lives of our patients and can indirectly affect the future of healthcare.

Gov. Hochul proposed measures to alleviate financial burdens for New Yorkers, including middle-class tax cuts by reducing taxes for over 8.3 million taxpayers to the lowest levels in nearly 70 years, inflation relief checks providing one-time payments of up to $500 to more than 8.6 million households, and an expanded child tax credit offering up to $1,000 per child to nearly two million families. She also focused on workforce development to address critical workforce shortages, especially in healthcare. On this topic, she announced tuition-free education at SUNY and CUNY community colleges. Her initiative would provide free tuition for adults pursuing careers in high-demand fields, including healthcare. Governor Hochul emphasized her commitment to comprehensive care access by increasing funding for reproductive healthcare, specifically by expanding support for abortion services to ensure patient autonomy and access to care for all New Yorkers. She discussed mental health reforms at length to tackle what she called the state’s mental health crisis, and proposed strengthening Kendra’s Law, a law that allows courts in New York to mandate outpatient treatment for individuals with severe mental illness who are unlikely to seek care voluntarily and pose a risk to themselves or others. She also discussed expanding involuntary commitment criteria by revising laws to ensure timely intervention for those at risk.

Additionally, Governor Hochul proposed youth mental health investments by continuing to fund youth mental health programs to provide early intervention and care. She announced initiatives to promote safety and protect vulnerable populations, including an increased police presence by deploying officers on all overnight subway trains for six. She also proposed enhanced domestic violence resources by raising compensation thresholds for crime victims and increasing funding for child advocacy centers.

Though Governor Hochul didn’t directly address internal medicine or primary care, the agenda does prioritize mental health reforms, reproductive healthcare, affordability, and public safety, which all, of course, impact our patients.

Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 Fiscal Year Budget

In Governor Hochul’s 2026 Fiscal Year Budget, many of the same themes are reflected, including investments in healthcare and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. The budget allocated $35.4 billion to New York’s Medicaid program, including $1.6 billion in federal funding from an assessment on Managed Care Organizations. There is also support for safety net hospitals, with $1.3 billion allocated to the Safety Net Transformation Fund to help hospitals that serve at-risk populations. For SUNY hospitals, $800 million was allocated for facility improvements. $694 million was dedicated to the implementation of workforce development programs to support healthcare workers, behavioral health workers, and social care workers. $50 million was dedicated to support abortion access and protect providers from violence or harassment.

Building on a previous $1 billion investment in mental health, this year’s budget includes an additional $53 million to raise wages for mental health care providers, disability service providers, and addiction services workers. Additionally, $27.8 million will support individuals with serious mental illness, expanding Safe Options Support teams and launching 24/7 shelter sites in the NYC subway system.

This budget aims to prioritize equity by focusing on the most vulnerable populations and our at-risk patients, including families in low-income areas. It highlights mental health care, access to reproductive healthcare, and strengthening and investing in the healthcare system at large.

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Call for Candidates - NYACP Governor-Elect in the Bronx/Manhattan Region

The ACP national office will conduct an election for Governor-elect in September 2025. The Chapter’s Local Nominations Committee (LNC) is responsible for identifying up to two candidates willing and able to serve a 4-year term.

The Chapter is looking for a dynamic leader who exhibits integrity, shows commitment to the College, and demonstrates dedication to NYACP and the medical community. The next Governor could be you or someone you know and must be an MACP or FACP. The successful candidate will work with ACP members locally and with leaders at the national level. The Governor typically spends several hours per week on College business with the support of executive administrative staff.

Serving as an ACP Governor is a rewarding and life-changing experience. Outgoing Governors were asked to share their perspectives on serving as Governors. Here is one testimonial:

"I've felt enriched by the experience and that I've been able to give back to others, as well. The connections I've made with physicians within my Chapter and across the country/world are wonderful. The work that ACP is doing is important. I'm proud to be a member of such an organization and to have had the opportunity to serve in a leadership role."

Please send names of nominees and their e-mail addresses and/or telephone numbers to the Chair.

CLNC: Jitendra Barmecha, MBBS, MD, MPH, MACP
Email: jbarmecha@sbhny.org

Candidate information must be submitted by March 3, 2025. The Committee will review all proposals and select the final candidates for the election. Further election information can be found in the College bylaws, Article X, Section 4.

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Chapter Members Take National Roles

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Lee for being elected as a new Regent to the ACP Board of Regents. Dr. Lee’s term will become effective at the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting (ABM on Saturday, April 5, 2025 in New Orleans, LA).

Congratulations to the 2025 ACP Well-Being Champion Nominee’s from New York!
ACP Well-Being Champions serve a three-year term after completing training with expert coaches.  They are an important support system at the Chapter level and within their communities to promote well-being through programming, teaching, and coaching.  The new NYACP Well-Being Champions are:

• Saika Sharmeen, DO, FACP
• Raphael Rabinowitz, MD, FACP
• Basel Abuzuaiter, MD
• Inderpreet Singh, MD
• Sraven Ponnekanti, MD

Several of the Well Being Champions serve on the Chapter’s Early Career Physician Committee. Explore the NYACP website to learn more about Chapter committees and other ways to get involved!!

Congratulations to Chapter Members Accepted into ACP’s Guided Fellow Program!

The ACP Guided Fellowship Program is a member-exclusive program that empowers early career physicians to grow and enhance their careers with a structured path to achieve ACP Fellowship over three years. Throughout this period, Guided Fellows are provided with professional development opportunities and support to help them achieve their FACP credential.

To complete the Guided Fellowship Program and become an ACP Fellow, participants must:

• Demonstrate activity in at least three of the four Pillars of Fellowship by completing one activity annually.
• Maintain ACP membership in good standing (Resident/Fellow Member or Member) for at least three years post-residency and ensure dues are paid for three of the four most recent years.
• Be board certified in internal medicine, neurology, or a combined/internal medicine specialty (ABIM or AOBIM).
• Possess an active medical license in good standing (if in clinical practice).

Courtesy of the ACP Member Insurance Program, a one-time enrollment fee of $175 is waived.
The list of members who have been accepted is included on the NYACP FACP Webpage!