MSSNY PREDICTS 20% MED-MAL PREMIUM INCREASE

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Dr. Basile:

“If there is any reason to get on the bus, this is it. The threat is clear and imminent. A 20% increase in liability rates can be directly attributed to this bill if it becomes law. Every physician in the state has got to get to Albany on March 3rd”.
Michael Rosenberg MD
MSSNY President

The NYS Senate Codes Committee voted yesterday to report Senate Bill 1729. S.1729 would amend NYS Civil Practice Laws and Rules as follows:

· Section 1 of the bill changes the current 2 ½ year statute of limitations on medical malpractice cases, which currently runs from the date of the alleged malpractice, to instead run from the date of the discovery of the alleged malpractice; and
· Section 2 of the bill revives those actions which would have been time barred or dismissed under the present statute of limitations for a period of one-year after the enactment of this legislation.

NYS Codes Committee Members voted as follows:

Eric Schneiderman, Chair (D-Manhattan)
Yes
Neil Breslin (D-Albany County)
Yes
Tom Duane (D-Manhattan)
Excused
Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn)
Yes
Shirley Huntley (D-Queens)
Yes
John Sampson (D-Brooklyn)
Yes
Jeff Klein (D-Bronx)
Yes
Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan)
Yes
Dan Squadron (D-Manhattan)
Yes
Dale Volker (R-Erie County)
Yes without Recommendation
Steve Saland (R-Dutchess County)
No
John DeFrancisco (R-Onondaga County)
Yes without Recommendation
John Bonacic (R-Orange, Ulster Counties)
Yes without Recommendation
Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn)
No
Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island)
Yes without Recommendation
John Flanagan (R-Suffolk County)
No





















Senators Lanza, Saland, Flanagan, Golden, and Volker spoke against consideration of this measure before addressing the current medical liability crisis. Senators Schneiderman and Breslin also spoke positively about the importance of addressing the liability crisis which exists in New York State.

The Medical Society of the State of NY and medical specialty societies STRONGLY OPPOSED this legislation and would like to recognize and thank the physicians who have contacted NYS Legislators to oppose the bill.

We must now mount a huge collective effort to oppose the further approval of this bill by the full NYS Senate and NYS Assembly. Clearly, this is an opportunity to educate our elected representatives and all physicians must act now.

Please help us oppose S.1729 by doing the following:

1. Come to Albany on 3/3/09 to lobby with us against this bill. Contact your local county medical society to sign-up to ride on their bus with them to Albany. Your Legislators must see you and hear from you on 3/3/09 in person in order to understand how important this issue is to you.

2. Contact your NYS Legislators to let them know that you oppose S.1729. Please click here for our alert.

3. Make an appointment with your Legislator for NEXT WEEK when they will be in their home districts. You can reach Sen. John J. Flanagan at (631) 361-2154 and Asm. Steven Englebright at (631) 751-3094.

Organized medicine has a huge battle in front of us. Your participation in the opposition campaign has never been more critical.