NYSAFP ADVOCACY COMMISSION MINUTES

October 20, 2007

Hunter Mtn., NY

Meeting called to order by Chair, Philip Kaplan, MD

PRESENT: Philip Kaplan, MD, Leon Zoghlin, MD, Norman Loomis, MD, Kirk Scirto, MD, Ashley Gallagher, MD, James Lomax, MD, Heidi Zinkand, MD, Marc Price, DO, Meg Rosenberg, MD, John Alley, MD, Marcy Wamp, Weingarten, Reid & McNally (WRM)

(Bold print indicates action items for Board)

Albany Update: Marcy Wamp provided an update on the poor relations between Governor Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Bruno which has led to intense gridlock and a complete lack of negotiations on any outstanding or new issues. Also, Marcy provided an update on a number of activities that the Academy and WRM have been involved in including testifying at a series of single payer hearings, the mandatory immunization registry, hearings on primary care and HPV and others, as we prepare for the 2008 legislative session.

Old Business:

  1. Minutes from July meeting were approved via email prior to and at the meeting without changes.
  2. Legislative Grid approved by Board was referenced as information only
  3. Legislative Grid approved by email was presented for error checking, the Commission approved it with one change- we will approach Gottfried on A.9195 about making routine HIV testing for all ages, not just 18-64. Also the Commission resolved that the Academy should study the idea of a voluntary DNR registry further. Board will review at meeting Sunday. Grid at end of minutes.
  4. Two bills were discussed by Commission, proposed positions included below:

LEGISLATION FOR DISCUSSION AT OCTOBER MEETING:

A7959Cahill(MS) No Same as
POSITION: Support / Eliminates the licensure requirement of citizenship or permanent residence where such requirement presently exists in the professions of certified shorthand reporting, chiropractic, dental hygiene and dentistry, landscape architecture, land surveying, massage, medicine, midwifery, pharmacy, professional engineering, veterinary medicine and veterinary technology; Passed Assembly
A5810Paulin(MS) No Same as
POSITION: No Position, Continue to look at the issue as we become more educated and there is more research / Provides for the immunization of all children born after January 1, 1996 against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the same manner and according to the same time schedule that other immunizations are currently administered; In Committee
  1. Direct to Consumer Screening Programs: WRM will inquire with the DOH about how they regulate, monitor such programs, and MSSNY and the State Radiological Society to determine their position on such programs. Also, the Academy will work to gather more specific information on unregulated, unlicensed direct to screening programs in order to approach the NYS DOH.
  2. Congestion Pricing, RHHPA, Tobacco Tax update: Marcy updated Advocacy and Public Health on Congestion Pricing and RHHPA and Ron Rouse updated on the Academy’s support for a tobacco tax update, that the Academy continues to advocate for these issues.
  3. Immunization Registry: Dr. Kaplan provided the Commission with an update on the mandatory immunization registry, as required by a law passed in 2006. The Commission endorses in a one-year delay in enforcement and continuing to work through a steering committee process with the DOH to ensure that our concerns are heard. The Commission recommended that there be a single office-based HPN account, rather than an account for each member of the staff, similar to what the regional registries and NYC do. Dr. Kaplan will take this recommendation to the DOH. Also, the Academy will poll the membership on what % do not currently have office staff accessible Internet and broad-band Internet in order to be able to use the HPN to do this.
  4. LongRange Plan: Dr. Kaplan proposed having a well organized, efficient Commission meeting and continue to do the current process implemented recently.
  5. Single Payer: Dr. Kaplan will take Commission’s message to the Board about inclusion of medical liability reform in the Academy’s single payer proposal. Dr. Zoghlin will also write a clarifying resolution on the Academy’s single payer proposal.

New Business:

  1. Committee Vacancies: Marcy listed the state committees where there are vacancies including Minority Health, Cancer Consortium and Tobacco Advisory Committee. Any members that are interested should let Vito Grasso know.
  2. MSSNY Opposition for PDPT:The Commission discussed their opposition and urged that Academy members lobby internally with MSSNY through delegates and other members to change their position at the next Congress of Delegates. The Academy needs to determine what the vote and discussion was when MSSNY resolved to oppose this.
  3. MSSNY Resolution on Physician Permission to Report an Impaired Driver: The Commission agreed to oppose the proposed resolution passed by the MSSNY Legislative Committee and such opposition should be taken to MSSNY via our delegates
  4. March Lobby Day:Commission members will think about the lobby day and communicate via email on any ideas for the March Day and also in-district local meetings with legislators.

LEGISLATION DISCUSSED VIA EMAIL POST-JULY MEETING, NEED BOARD APPROVAL, PROPOSED POSITION BELOW:

BILL / SUMMARY
A3065Greene(MS) Same as Uni. S 1564 LAVALLE
POSITION: No Position / Provides that policies which provide hospital, surgical or medical coverage shall provide coverage for hysterectomies; provides that such coverage shall include inpatient hospital coverage for a minimum period of seventy-two hours after surgery; In Committee
A5076Englebright(MS) Same as S 670 HANNON

POSITION: Support

/ Establishes a health care proxy registry within the department of health to maintain the health care proxies of person electing to submit such to such registry and to provide access thereto to attending health care providers; In Committee
A5498Colton(MS) No Same as
POSITION: No Position, Discuss with sponsor to include safeguards / Directs the commissioners of the state insurance fund to establish a single payer health care plan for all New York residents and to submit appropriate legislation to the legislature; further directs the commissioners to submit a report detailing the cost savings of such single payer health care plan as related to the existing costs of health care services in the state; In Committee
A6340Gottfried(MS) Same as S 4644 HANNON
POSITION: No Position / Prohibits hospitals from denying staff membership or professional privileges to any psychologist without stating the reasons therefore; provides that such reasons must be related to standards of patient care, patient welfare, the objectives of the hospital, or the character or competency of the psychologist; Passed Assembly
A6763Englebright No Same as
POSITION: Oppose / Creates direct authority for the Attorney General of NYS to enforce the Public Health Law, as well as rules and regu-
lations promulgated by DOH the absence of action by the Department of Health; In Committee
A6977Titus(MS) No Same as
POSITION: Oppose / Requires licensed health care professionals and hospitals to make available to patients and prospective patients a printed copy of any medical malpractice convictions or information which must placed in the common areas of such a facility; provides civil and criminal penalties for failure to comply; In Committee
A7074-AJohn(MS) Same as S 599-A HANNON
POSITION: No Position / Authorizes nurse practitioners to sign death certificates in like manner as physicians and imposes upon nurse practitioners the same duties that physicians have in connection therewith; Passed Senate
A7403Benjamin No Same as
POSITION: Support / Requires that parents and guardians of a child in New York State be encouraged, through the provision of written educational materials and consultation, to administer to such child an adequate dose or doses of an immunizing agent against human papillomavirus (HPV); In Committee
A8125-APaulin(MS) Same as S 5480-A HANNON

POSITION: No Position

/ Provides for a premium reduction for obstetric practitioners
who complete a labor and delivery course; In Committee
A9195Gottfried Same as S 6326 HANNON
POSITION: Support / Simplifies and streamlines the process for physicians to obtain written-informed consent for HIV testing by allowing for such written consent to be part of a signed general consent to medical care. In addition, this bill provides for HIV testing to be offered routinely to patients between the ages of 18 and 64; Passed Assembly
A9303Aubry Same as S 5016 HANNON
POSITION: Support / Requires that an interchange of an anti-epileptic drug or the
formulation of an anti-epileptic drug, brand or generic, for the treatment of seizures may not occur without prior notification of and the signed informed consent of the prescribing physician and patient, or patient's parent, legal guardian or spouse of such person; In Committee
S597HANNON No Same as
POSITION: Support / Establishes a palliative care education and training program to provide grants to medical schools to provide training to medical students and doctors in palliative care; establishes centers for palliative care excellence; authorizes the commissioner to designate one or more palliative care practitioner resource centers; establishes the New York state palliative care education and training council; further requires a report by the commissioner of health to the governor and legislature on or before February 1, 2009; In Committee
S4915JOHNSONO No Same as
POSITION: Support / Provides for the transfer of any funding available after the awarding of regents health care professional opportunity scholarships to the regents physician loan forgiveness program with a priority given to physicians who are economically disadvantaged and/or a member of an underrepresented minority group; In Committee

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