Nov. 28, 2024: Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) announced that Governor Hochul has signed into law three key pieces of legislation that she authored (Chs. 520, 476, 474 of 2024) which will help address healthcare workforce shortages and expand healthcare access for New Yorkers.

A.8378/S.9038 increases the number of physician assistants (PAs) that can be supervised by a physician. It further provides that PAs may prescribe and order non-patient specific orders for certain immunizations and treatments and write medical orders for durable medical equipment.

"During the pandemic, under the Governor's executive orders, PAs were given greater latitude to treat patients, taking full advantage of their extensive training and experience," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. "Patients, hospitals and clinics throughout New York benefitted from the increased access to care during that time. Many New Yorkers still face barriers to health care which stem from a shortage of health care professionals. By modernizing practice guidelines for PAs, this law will increase the number of providers available to treat patients, expanding access to quality care across the State."

"Patients in my Senate District often face unacceptably long wait times for healthcare. Waiting for care can be frustrating and even life-threatening when someone is sick. This new law prioritizes patient-centered care by increasing the number of physician assistants in outpatient offices and expanding the types of care they can provide in consultation with their partner physicians. With these changes, we aim to ensure that patients needing treatment receive quality care and relief without long delays. Thank you to Assemblymember Paulin for her hard work in moving this bill through the Assembly and Governor Hochul for her strong commitment to quality and timely healthcare across New York," said Senator Rachel May.

A.8247C/S.8470 expands access to radiology services by authorizing the intravenous administration of contrast media by a radiographer when done under the direct supervision of a licensed physician, certified nurse practitioner, or licensed physician assistant.

"By allowing physician assistants and nurse practitioners to supervise the administration of IV contrast media, we're cutting down unnecessary delays in care for procedures like MRIs and CT scans," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. "This will allow radiologic technologists to work more efficiently, give New Yorkers high quality and timely care, and allow physicians to focus on critical patient care. This is a commonsense way to address the healthcare workforce shortage and increase healthcare access by increasing efficiency."

"This law will allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to supervise critical imaging procedures along with physicians. This will prevent delays in patient care and, at the same time, help address the serious healthcare workforce shortage our state faces. I want to thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill into law and Assembly Member Paulin for her partnership in passing this bill through our respective houses," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Chair of the Senate Health Committee and Senate bill sponsor.

A.8168/S.7690 provides Medicaid coverage for remote ultrasound scans and remote fetal non-stress tests. While NYS Medicaid provides coverage for telemedicine services, coverage of remote ultrasound scans and remote fetal non-stress tests has been ambiguous. This new law clarifies and codifies that remote ultrasound scans and remote fetal non-stress tests are fully covered by Medicaid.

By increasing access to remote interventions, this new law will prevent gaps in care for rural New Yorkers, enhance access to care for all expecting mothers, and improve health outcomes for New York's moms and babies.  

"We know how important prenatal care is to positive maternal health outcomes," said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. "We also know how important telemedicine is for those who live in healthcare deserts or who struggle with cost barriers. This new law will help take away those barriers, enhance access to care, and ultimately improve health outcomes for New York's mothers and babies."

"I am proud that my legislation to improve maternal health outcomes has been signed into law by Governor Hochul," said State Senator Lea Webb. "We know that the key factors driving the maternal mortality crisis are poor access to prenatal care and skipping necessary health care due to cost barriers like insurance coverage, transportation, or an inability to take off work to get to appointments. Our legislation addresses this issue by ensuring remote ultrasound scans and remote fetal non-stress tests are covered by Medicaid, increasing access to routine prenatal care for patients who lack transportation or live in rural areas. I want to thank Assembly Member Paulin for sponsoring this legislation, the Senate Majority Leader for her continued leadership on the maternal health crisis, and Governor Kathy Hochul for signing it into law."

"I'm so thrilled that three of my bills to address the healthcare workforce shortage and increase access to healthcare have been signed into law," said Paulin. "I thank Governor Hochul and my State Senate partners for taking these steps to give more New Yorkers access to high quality healthcare."

A.8378/S.9038 was passed in the New York State Senate by Senator Rachel May. A.8247C/S.8470 was passed in the New York State Senate by Senator Gustavo Rivera. A.8168/S.7690 was passed in the New York State Senate by Senator Lea Webb.