Cuomo’s New Budget Would Eliminate NY Doctor Database
Governor Andrew Cuomo is making budget cuts across a number of platforms that will have potential ramifications for New Yorkers. His proposed $142 billion budget would effectively eliminate a useful website that allows residents to research prospective doctors, including data about their credentials and reports of medical malpractice. The physician profile website, called Mydoctorprofile, was launched almost 15 years ago and relies on self-reported information from doctors throughout New York State.
The cut would save NY state roughly $1.2 million each year, says Cuomo’s office, which asserts that the majority of the site’s data can be accessed on other websites that are accessible by the public. At a recent news conference, patient advocates called upon Cuomo not to cut funding for the state-run website – a decision that will made on March 31, 2015.
Budget cuts may end state-funded doctor profile website
“The Department does feel that much of the information that the physicians provide on their own to the website is available in other locations, but we are committed to have appropriate information for consumers to make educated and informed choices about their providers is available,” said Sally Dreslin, Executive Deputy Health Commissioner, at a budget meeting last month. However patient advocates argue that other websites such as HealthGrades are not as thorough or user-friendly.
New Yorkers can also turn to a database run by the State Department of Health when vetting a physician, though the site doesn’t include any settlements arising from medical malpractice actions.
The Assembly’s Democratic majority and Senate’s Republican majority are both in favor of maintaining funding for the state-run website – a topic which may be revisited by Cuomo’s office in the coming days. The website was initiated in 2000, after the New York Patient Health Information and Quality Improvement Act was signed into law by former Gov. George Pataki.
Proponents for the physician profile site contend that vital information about doctors is missing from other public access websites — data that could impel prospective patients to ask more detailed questions before entrusting their health to a medical professional.
The state-run site allows residents to search for:
- Information about the physician’s medical education
- Data about any lawsuits filed against the doctor
- Information about translation services available
Additionally, people can search information including any papers or journals authored by the physician, which health insurance plans they belong to, and any professional awards given.
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Those who have already suffered injury or the loss of a loved one resulting from surgical mistakes or doctor negligence know the emotional and economic burdens placed on victims and their families. Costly medical bills, lost income and permanent disabilities often put victims in a precarious position, with some unable to regain their financial footing. Here at The Sanders Firm, we have procured millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of clients harmed by medical malpractice.
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- Star Gazette, Advocates want Cuomo to continue doctor database http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/12/cuomo-doctor-database/70238324/
- Mydoctorprofile.com, New York State Physician Profile Website http://www.nydoctorprofile.com/
