ALBANY, NY – The New York State Conference of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans (NYSCOP) today released the following statement regarding Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address. As the providers of health coverage for nearly six million New Yorkers, NYSCOP remains committed to working with the Executive Chamber and the State Legislature to ensure every New Yorker has access to high-quality, affordable health care.
“While we applaud Governor Kathy Hochul’s vision for a more affordable New York, today’s address was a missed opportunity to provide real relief to New Yorkers struggling with the skyrocketing cost of healthcare,” said Lev Ginsburg, Executive Director of NYSCOP. “The State of the State largely ignored the underlying cost of care and the unsustainable reimbursement demands currently being made by large, consolidated hospital systems, the single biggest factor driving up premiums for families and small businesses.”
NYSCOP also praised the Governor’s continued focus on the healthcare workforce and the Safety Net Transformation Program, noting that these investments are essential to maintaining the state’s healthcare infrastructure. However, it is important to note that these investments do not address the systemic financial pressures on the private market. Without a serious plan to tackle the root causes of healthcare inflation, double digit premium increases for the small group market will continue to threaten the financial security of New York’s employers in the coming years.
“We are also particularly concerned that the Governor’s approach to prior authorization reform overlooks a simple, common-sense solution,” continued Lev Ginsburg, “The administration missed a critical opportunity to support the mandatory sharing of electronic health records (EHR) by hospital systems. This common-sense reform would immediately save money, reduce patient waiting times, and eliminate the administrative hurdles that lead to denials. Instead of pursuing these practical efficiencies, the State is opting for further regulation that fails to address the lack of transparency from large providers.”
“NYSCOP and its member plans look forward to a productive dialogue with the Governor and the Legislature throughout the budget process,” concluded Lev Ginsburg, “Our mission remains providing New Yorkers with affordable access to quality health care.”
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