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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Restricts limitations on non-affiliated physicians from becoming a network provider of any health care plan or health maintenance organization
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Nelson Castro
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S7336
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law and the public health law, in relation to restricting limitations on non-affiliated physicians from becoming a network provider of any health care plan or health maintenance organization
Purpose
To allow non-affiliated physicians the opportunity to be part of a health insurer's provider network in order to coordinate patient care and help control the spiraling cost of medical care.
Summary of provisions
Amends section 3217-b of the insurance law and section 4406-c of the public health law to prohibit a health insurer from requiring a physician to be affiliated with and/or maintain hospital privileges as a condition of entering into or remaining in the provider network. Also prohibits a health insurer from restricting a physician's ability to refer a patient to another physician based solely on the referred physician's lack of affiliation with a hospital.
Justification
The contractual agreements that exist between insurance companies and hospitals creates an environment that restricts community based physicians from entering into network provider agreements unless they are unaffiliated with a hospital. This practice is unfair if the non-affiliated health care provider meets the credentialing standards. The health care provider is responsible for meeting the requirements for participation. Upon meeting the necessary criteria for qualification, there should be no basis for denial of the non-affiliated independent physician's right to become a network provider of any New York State sanctioned health care plan and/or health maintenance organization.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
180 days after becoming a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.