New York Assembly Bill A9077A was introduced, which would eliminate the role of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from the determination of policies and practices in the state of New York.
The bill proposes that medical guidelines would be required to follow “nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines,” and that such guidelines would not have to be “consistent with guidelines issued by a federal agency or other organization if such guidelines conflict with peer-reviewed scientific evidence and professional consensus.”
Such substitutions would apply across different sections of New York legislation, including Labor Law and various treatment guidelines.
This bill is the most recent action taken by various states and cities that wish to establish their own healthcare policies that do not model themselves after changing federal policies, particularly after the changing of vaccination guidelines by the CDC.
In September, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary regional coalition of public health agencies and leaders, brought together to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness, and promote and protect evidence-based public health.
Additionally, California, Oregon, and Washington state launched the West Coast Health Alliance, an interstate collaborative created to help safeguard scientific expertise by ensuring that public health policies in California, Oregon, and Washington are informed by trusted scientists, clinicians, and other public health leaders. Through this partnership, the three states will start coordinating health guidelines by aligning immunization recommendations informed by respected national medical organizations. This will allow residents to receive consistent, science-based recommendations they can rely on — regardless of shifting federal actions.
This New York bill could be the first of many regional policies that shift public health practices away from deferring to federal guidelines and towards others.
For ongoing coverage of the latest legislation and policy updates impacting workers' comp, visit the Healthesystems Advocacy & Compliance page for our weekly Regulatory Recap.
