On the Agenda, the official publication of the New York State Chiropractic Association (NYSCA), is published quarterly. It is designed to provide information about the Chiropractic profession and NYSCA activities and initiatives.
The 2023 legislative session began on January 9, 2023, and the legislative committee has been hard at work on the legislative priorities for NYSCA. As a reminder, all legislation in New York operates on a two-year cycle. At the end of the two-years, all bills must be reintroduced again in the new cycle. This year marks the start of a new cycle, so our priority bills will have new bill numbers.
2023 brings forth continued positive changes for doctors of chiropractic practicing in New York. Across the state certain health plans have increased fee schedules and enhanced coverage. In addition, a few third-party administrators have been eliminated, and unreasonable utilization review has been discontinued. Reasonable reimbursement and the elimination of administrative burdens affords us more time to assist our patients in achieving their goals. With significant involvement from our members, the NYSCA continues our drive to parity and fairness in reimbursement and administrative practices.
Recently, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) weighed-in, backing away somewhat from the Department’s previous face mask mandate for certain health care settings, principally facilities regulated by the Department under Articles 28, 36 and 40 of the New York State Public Health Law (PHL) relating to hospitals, home healthcare services, and hospices, respectively.
Dr. Anthony M. Palumbo is a 1995 summa cum laude graduate of Life College. He had the honor of acting as his class Salutatorian. Following his College’s credo; to give, to do, to love, to serve, out of your own abundance, he has proudly contributed to the Profession of Chiropractic in many roles.
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 10, 2023) – The New York State Department of Health today issued a COVID-19 advisory for the use of masks and face coverings in health care facilities, aligning the State's guidance with the latest federal recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Recently, the New York Chiropractic Council (the Council) released a video regarding the Scope Modernization Bill. As a result of this video, we felt that some clarification is in order.
A member relates then asks:
We hear every day that many Americans are not financially prepared for their future. People find the financial planning process overwhelming, and they don’t know where to begin.
Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her second State Budget address this afternoon. The Governor began the address by noting that the general economic outlook is far less rosy than it was last year. Nonetheless, the Governor presented an optimistic vison of the State’s finances and progress for the upcoming year, as New York expects to end its current fiscal year with an $8.7 billion surplus as the result of increased tax collections throughout the prior fiscal year. For Fiscal Year 2024, the Governor is proposing a $227 billion budget, which represents a 2.4% increase over the prior year budget.
For those of you who got an early start, please go back and check the fees again as the revised fee schedule has just been posted. Please make sure you are using the most up to date fee schedule when sending your claims to Medicare or billing your patient prior to submitting claims if you are non-participating.
Today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her second State of the State address. While this was her second address, it was her first address as the elected Governor. During her address, Governor Hochul laid out her vision for leading New York State. The Governor set an optimistic and hopeful tone for the future of the State but noted that there was much to be done to reach that future. The Governor pledged a collaborative approach, aiming to work with the Legislature, municipalities, and businesses across New York for the people of New York State.
Join your fellow healthcare professionals and the New York Yankees for select games in May at Yankee Stadium. The dates for the games are May 8-14, 2023
NYSCA members have asked for updates on the Medicare fee schedule. As of now, there are no changes and no changes are anticipated until the House leadership is sorted out.
We would like to take a moment to express our extreme gratitude to our lobbyist, Amy Kellogg, for her efforts in advancing and ultimately achieving passage of the Opioid Bill (A273/S4640) into law.
On May 25, 2022 we announced that our coalition conservative care bill (opioid bill), A273 sponsored by Assemblymember Gottfried and S4640 sponsored by Senator Rivera, had passed both the Assembly and the Senate.
We hear every day that many Americans are not financially prepared for their future. People find the financial planning process overwhelming, and they don’t know where to begin.
For many employers, the end of the year brings many important tasks, deadlines, and legal updates. To assist you with your year-end projects and planning for 2023, this LEGALcurrents provides a summary of some recent developments and reminders as we begin the new year.
A recent study from University Hospitals (UH) Connor Whole Health has found that adults who initially visit a chiropractor to receive spinal manipulation for low back pain caused by disc herniation or radiculopathy (i.e., sciatica) are less likely to undergo discectomy (i.e., disc surgery) over the subsequent two years. This study was recently published in the journal BMJ Open.
This week, the Senate and Assembly held leadership votes for their respective houses, and both houses reelected their current leadership. In the Senate, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins was reelected as Majority Leader while Senator Rob Ortt was reelected as Minority Leader. In the Assembly, Assemblymember Carl Heastie was reelected as Speaker while Assemblymember Will Barclay was reelected as Minority Leader. These leadership reelections will not become finalized until the new session convenes and a vote of the newly elected members in both houses is held on the floor. This vote will take place the first day of the legislative session, Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
