On May 7, 2025, the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons met with lawmakers in Albany to advocate for legislation that protects patients and promotes the value of physician-led care.

NYSSPS supported:

• Gold Card Prior Authorization Reform (A2352): Streamlines approval for high-performing physicians to reduce delays in care.

• Overpayment Recovery Limits (A3365/S5209): Caps insurance clawbacks to 3 months, improving practice sustainability.

• Truth in Advertising: Increases transparency about healthcare professional credentials and training.

NYSSPS opposed:

• Wrongful Death Expansion (A6063/S4423): This costly bill has passed the Senate this week and awaits Assembly action.

• Non-physician Microneedling and Laser Hair Removal (A3084a; A1916/S6231): Procedures with real risks that must remain under medical supervision.

Advocacy Win:

Assembly Bill A5469 proposed to modify New York State Tax Law to apply a sales tax on elective cosmetic procedures. 

If passed, A5469 would have imposed new taxes on services such as elective aesthetic surgeries, increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients and potentially deterring access to medically appropriate procedures that enhance quality of life, even if not deemed reconstructive by strict definitions.

Thanks to strong opposition from NYSSPS and other stakeholders, the bill did not advance and the enacting clause was stricken, preventing it from moving forward this session.

Follow our legislative priorities 

by: Richard F. Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company

Healthcare practitioners often receive inquiries from students seeking opportunities to shadow or observe, volunteer, or learn through a formal clinical rotation. High schools may offer programs and courses that focus on careers related to medicine, dentistry, or nursing. The requests for shadowing experiences can also come from college and vocational students.

Understanding what being a healthcare professional entails is critical for any individual considering a career in the industry. Observing, volunteering, and mentoring opportunities may be rewarding for the professional and benefit the learner by fulfilling requisite application criteria. Although it is a great opportunity to promote your profession, it is also important to recognize the risks to your patients, employees, and your practice if you decide to accommodate such requests.

Before deciding to allow students into your office, explore their personal expectations as well as the impact it could have on your practice. Identify and validate the program associated with the inquiry and understand the objectives that are expected to be achieved. It is important for practitioners to differentiate between shadowing or observing, volunteering, and a formal clinical rotation in which direct patient care is provided.

Learn more

NYSSPS encourages members to participate in the upcoming ASPS Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC. Join colleagues from across the country to meet with federal legislators and advance key issues in plastic surgery.

More information and registration: ASPS Advocacy Summit

The New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYSSPS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Resident Advocacy Fellowship Program!

This initiative will provide residents with firsthand experience in advocacy, giving them the tools they need to influence policies impacting patient care and the profession.

By participating, residents will:

• Gain exposure to healthcare policy issues

• Engage directly with policymakers and legislative leaders

• Develop advocacy and leadership skills

• Build connections with experienced plastic surgeons and mentors

More information about the program can be found online:  https://nyssps.org/Resident-Advocacy   

Deadline to apply for the first round is May 31, 2025.   

Fellowship awards and travel expenses provided to the top three applicants: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nysspsfellowship 

Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
The Doctors Company and TDC Group

Across the U.S., healthcare systems are beset by limited resources and widening care gaps. Patients are frustrated by long wait times, fragmented care, inaccessible services, and extraordinary costs. These challenges are forcing leaders to pursue new solutions, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools, expanded roles for advanced practice clinicians (APCs), and innovative business models.

Executive Summary

Frontline clinicians contend with worsening physician shortages, nuclear verdicts driving up professional liability costs, and an alarming expansion of medical care deserts, especially for maternity care. For patients, these issues translate into unmet needs, eroding trust, and a growing sense that the system is not working for them.

Evolving technologies powered by AI offer opportunities for U.S. healthcare organizations, but they also raise pressing questions about patient safety, privacy, and practitioner liability. Meanwhile, retail giants like CVS, reeling from unsustainable experiments in healthcare delivery, are pivoting to newer strategies, while pharmaceutical companies are expanding into telehealth and direct care services. These shifts complicate efforts to provide seamless, patient-centered care and maintain accurate, comprehensive medical records.

Each year, TDC Group predicts emerging healthcare trends over the next decade, focusing on the challenges, risks, and opportunities that shape the industry.

Read the predictions - Healthcare 2035 Report

Key Deadline: Draft resolutions must be submitted to NYSSPS for consideration by Friday, January 31, 2025.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) House of Delegates Meeting in April we encourage you to participate in crafting impactful resolutions.

As members of the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYSSPS), you have a unique opportunity to influence policies and positions that directly impact our profession.

If you’d like to collaborate with our Executive Council to draft and submit a resolution, please email us at nyssps@gmail.com.

Why This Matters

• The HOD is MSSNY’s primary policymaking body, where resolutions proposed by members and specialty societies are debated and voted on.
  
  
• Policies adopted by the HOD guide MSSNY’s advocacy efforts with state legislators, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders. By submitting resolutions, NYSSPS ensures that issues important to plastic surgeons are part of the broader physician advocacy agenda in New York.
  
  
• The HOD provides a platform for NYSSPS to advocate for policies tailored to the unique challenges faced by plastic surgeons and their patients. 

Debra Kane Hill, MBA, RN, Senior Patient Safety Risk Manager, The Doctors Company, Part of TDC Group

Dispensing free sample medications to patients, a common practice in medical and dental offices, can provide many benefits for both patients and practitioners. Dispensing sample medications can, however, create risks and patient safety issues—especially for offices that take a casual approach toward the sample medication supply.

Learn more about the benefits and risks

Learn about the development stages of medical artificial intelligence (AI), including ethical concerns such as privacy, bias, consent, and accountability, and the potential liability risks for healthcare professionals and organizations.

Read more

written by: Kevin Johnson, MD, MS, University Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, Pediatrics, and Science Communication at the University of Pennsylvania; Vice President of Applied Clinical Informatics in the University of Pennsylvania Health System

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t new: The first neural network computer appeared in the early 1950s. Hype about AI revved up in the 1970s, but early iterations of AI stalled out through a combination of too much hype, too much complexity, and too little attention to the human element.

We can learn from prior AI failures, not to mention failures of EHR implementation, to successfully integrate certain types of AI into daily healthcare operations. We will not solve the clinician burnout crisis or achieve equity in healthcare using AI alone, but strategic applications of AI can assist us in both areas.

The cornerstones of successful AI implementation will be people: Those who envision, lead, and train, and those who reskill, adapt, and integrate AI tools into frontline care, whether for administrative or for patient-facing purposes.

Four Main Types of AI

Right now, generally speaking, AI works in one of four ways:  read full article

By:  Robert E. White Jr., President, The Doctors Company and TDC Group

Explore the growing issue of nuclear verdicts in healthcare and how they threaten physician liability, increase costs, and limit patient access to care.

This article outlines actionable steps and advocacy efforts to combat this trend. 

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