New York Senate Bill 4926 (AB 6887), which addresses claimant access to prescribed medications outside contracted pharmacy networks, was sent to Governor Kathy Hochul for signature on December 1st and quickly vetoed.

The measure would have allowed workers’ comp claimants to fill prescriptions at a pharmacy of their choice when an employer or carrier fails to authorize or reauthorize prescribed medication within 72 hours. Those pharmacies must then comply with the fee schedule, medical treatment guidelines, and the state formulary.

This proposal closely mirrored Senate Bill 1974, which was vetoed last December due to concerns over litigation and administrative burdens. At that time, the Governor called for regulatory updates to achieve the bill’s intent. Those updates were made in July 2025, creating rules that already allow out-of-network pharmacy access when authorization delays occur.

This raises questions about whether SB 4926 offers meaningful improvements or simply duplicates existing protections.