Health Headlines for Friday, March 9
Health Officials Assail ‘Pricing Schemes’ That Gouge Patients
New York Times
Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, said Thursday that doctors and hospitals should tell patients how much their care would cost before patients received treatment. And if they do not do so voluntarily, he said, the government may use its leverage to force them to disclose the information.
Ulster County business leaders decry health insurance tax in Cuomo budget
Daily Freeman News
Ulster County business leaders on Thursday were livid over a proposed 14 percent tax on health insurance that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included in his proposed state budget.
NY flu cases continue sharp decline, state officials say
Newsday
The number of confirmed flu cases in New York continued to sharply decline for a second consecutive week, state officials announced Thursday.
New York City’s Plan to Save Obamacare From Trump Is Working Better Than Expected
Observer
The $8 million GetCoveredNYC campaign Mayor Bill de Blasio rolled out in 2016 to counter President Donald Trump’s effort to repeal former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) helped enroll 80,000 New Yorkers in new health insurance plans last year—30,000 more people than the city aimed to register.
Broome County to NYC: Stop sending homeless people here through SOTA program
WBNG
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar was joined by Nancy Williams, Commissioner of the Department of Social Services and other local leaders to announce that Broome County has demanded New York City’s Human Resources Administration stop using its Special One Time Assistance (SOTA) program to illegally transfer homeless people from NYC to the county.
Report: State Adult Smoking Rate Drops To Lowest On Record
Post Journal
The adult smoking rate has fallen to the lowest in New York state’s recorded history to 14.2 percent as of 2016, a 22 percent decline from 2011 and less than the national average of 15.5 percent.