NYSBA Rejecting Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Plan

Albany, NY (WIBX) - Governor Andrew Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team recently released a proposal to reform the medical malpractice system in the state, and officials with the New York State Bar Association are crying foul.

Steven Younger, President of the Association says he sees two main problems with the new proposal. "First it was done through a very bad process. Nobody representing someone who was hurt by a bad doctor was even at the table. This is only the special interests of the healthcare industry who came up with this proposal, gave it to the governor without having it ventilated and aired in front of all the relevant constituencies, but second, it's just bad policy," Younger said.

He says one of the items, which is a system for no fault for injured babies, will actually cost the state more money and create a new tax on businesses. He added that the $250,000 cap for pain and suffering lawsuits, discriminates against people with little or no income and the move also limits the ability to deter medical misconduct. Younger said, "These changes -- drafted by health industry insiders -- would overturn existing state tort laws if included in the Governor's budget and adopted by the Legislature." He added that such drastic changes should be open to debates rather than aggressively pushing through the budget process.