Honorable George E. Pataki, Governor
State of New York
Executive Chamber - The Capitol
Albany, New York 12224 Re: Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program Dear Governor Pataki: As you know, immediate action is necessary to ensure that the people of New York State continue to have access to quality medical care and doctors and dentists are able to obtain appropriate malpractice insurance coverage. At your insistence, legislation was adopted in 1999 dissolving the Medical Malpractice Insurance Association which for the past several years has been the funding source for the state's Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program. This program, which provides secondary malpractice coverage for about 25,000 physicians and dentists, now has no funding source in place and is set to expire on June 30. I have introduced legislation in the Assembly (A.9205) to extend the Excess Medical Malpractice Insurance Program for one month and to provide funding to cover the associated premium costs. The month-long extension of the program will give us the opportunity to achieve a longer-term solution and ensure that physicians and dentists continue to practice necessary, high-risk medical procedures for their patients. In order for the Assembly to act upon this important and time-sensitive legislation, I am requesting from you an Article VII message, so that this pressing issue of excess medical malpractice coverage can be addressed without any lapse in coverage. Sincerely,
SHELDON SILVER
Speaker
Back