Health Care Quality & Cost Containment Commission Now A Reality
by Deb Warner, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist

After years of the need for cost benefit analysis for health care legislation and coverage mandates, Governor Spitzer called for the establishment of the Health Care Quality and Cost Containment Commission. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance places New York in the top 10 of most heavily mandated states, with more than 40 services required to be included in the most basic of policies. Actuarial studies report that New York premium payers pay 12.2% of their premiums to cover the costs of these mandates.

Each year dozens of bills are introduced in the State Senate and Assembly to add new mandates. That was true for the 2007 session too, but none were enacted. There was a push to enact a mandated expanded use of MRIs before the Commission was created, but pressure on the Assembly stalled this bill.

We are pleased to note that at end of session on June 22, 2007 the Commission was made real. We can look forward now to objective review and analysis of any mandates proposed in Albany. New York will be the 27th state in the nation to activate its own health insurance mandate review commission.

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