Last year, the New York state legislature passed a bill to expand the types of damages awardable in wrongful death actions which would result in a dramatic increase in professional liability insurance premiums. Although the bill was vetoed by Governor Kathy Hochul, new versions of the bill, A. 6698 and S. 6636, were introduced without adequately addressing the concerns physicians raised about the previous legislation. If signed into law, these bills would increase professional liability insurance premiums by nearly 40%.
We believe this legislation may have unintended consequences that could impact patient care, medical practitioners, and the overall quality of our healthcare system.
The New York Chapter of the American College of Surgeons is working with the Medical Society of the State of New York and other physician organizations, to ensure legal remedies for grieving families.
To make a significant impact, we are participating in a series of coordinated contacts to the Governor's office on October 4th and October 27th.
- Call the Governor 's Office: 518-474-8390, press option 1 to voice your concerns.
- If you are unable to call, we've created an email message for you to modify and send to the Governor.
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