New York is seeing many efforts from non-physician health care providers to provide increasingly popular elective surgical services, but these shortcuts expose patients to unnecessary risk and potentially hazardous outcomes. 

This is not an issue of necessity or convenience and patient care for the citizens of New York should not be compromised. 

Policy should explore and implement measures that help ensure an adequate distribution of physicians in all communities and focus on attracting and retaining new physicians throughout the state. 

Call to Action

Contact your legislators and urge them to oppose S3551 A4543 which permits all dental practitioners to perform a wide range of medical and surgical procedures within the oral maxillofacial area including:

• rhinoplasty (nose jobs)
  
• blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
  
• rhytidectomy (face lift)
  
• submental liposuction
  
• otoplasty (ear surgery)
  
• dermabrasion,
  
• Other procedures of the head and neck performed by plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists and neurosurgeons

Working with WildApricot, we have corrected the security certificate issue. 

You can rest assure everything is up and working correctly. Your information (for example, passwords or credit card numbers) are all private when it is sent to this site.

We thank our members who alerted us to the issue and to WildApricot for their speediness in resolving the issue!

Should you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us: nyssps@gmail.com or 518-598-7755.

Thank you to our members who have alerted us to a hiccup in our launch of the new website!  We are working to resolve and we will inform you once completed!

The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as DEA Special Agents or other law enforcement personnel as part of an international extortion scheme.

The criminals call the victims (who in most cases previously purchased drugs over the internet or by telephone) and identify themselves as DEA agents or law enforcement officials from other agencies. The impersonators inform their victims that purchasing drugs over the internet or by telephone is illegal, and that enforcement action will be taken against them unless they pay a fine. In most cases, the impersonators instruct their victims to pay the "fine" via wire transfer to a designated location, usually overseas. If victims refuse to send money, the impersonators often threaten to arrest them or search their property. Some victims who purchased their drugs using a credit card also reported fraudulent use of their credit cards.

Impersonating a federal agent is a violation of federal law. The public should be aware that no DEA agent will ever contact members of the public by telephone to demand money or any other form of payment.

The DEA reminds the public to use caution when purchasing controlled substance pharmaceuticals by telephone or through the Internet. It is illegal to purchase controlled substance pharmaceuticals online or by telephone unless very stringent requirements are met. And, all pharmacies that dispense controlled substance pharmaceuticals by means of the internet must be registered with DEA. By ordering any pharmaceutical medications online or by telephone from unknown entities, members of the public risk receiving unsafe, counterfeit, and/or ineffective drugs from criminals who operate outside the law. In addition, personal and financial information could be compromised.

Anyone receiving a telephone call from a person purporting to be a DEA special agent or other law enforcement official seeking money should refuse the demand and report the threat using the online form below. Please include all fields, including, most importantly, a call back number so that a DEA investigator can contact you for additional information. Online reporting will greatly assist DEA in investigating and stopping this criminal activity. 

> Online Reporting

For more information contact:Locate DEA Field Office for your area - https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/contactDea/spring/fullSearch

Registration Service Center - 1-800-882-9539

Email - DEA.Registration.Help@usdoj.gov   

The current practice of dentistry is defined as diagnosing, treating, operating, or prescribing for any disease, pain, injury, deformity, or physical condition of the oral and maxillofacial area relating to restoring and  maintaining  dental  health.  By removing the language, "restoring and  maintaining  dental  health" the bill permits dental practitioners to perform a wide range of medical and surgical procedures incongruent with dental training and practice including but not limited to rhinoplasty (nose jobs), blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhytidectomy (face lift), submental liposuction, otoplasty (ear surgery), dermabrasion, and other procedures of the head and neck performed by plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists and neurosurgeons.

This bill would permit all dental practitioners to perform a wide range of medical and surgical procedures within the oral maxillofacial area.

Dentists, even oral and maxillofacial surgeons, are not trained in the systemic management of disease and, therefore, are not prepared to conduct a proper pre-operative evaluation, assess what surgical approach is most appropriate, or determine how to manage complications which may arise.
 
This type of expansion dangerously comprises patient safety and quality of care. Rather, policies should explore and implement measures that help ensure an adequate distribution of physicians in all communities and focus on attracting and retaining new physicians throughout the state.

Allowing limited license providers to become medical doctors by legislative fiat runs counter to federal and state policies that promote physician led, team-based health care.  > Use the NYSSPS Grassroots Action Center to Oppose S3551/A4543 

Currently, federal antitrust laws prohibit individual health care providers from acting in concert to collectively negotiate any of the financial provisions of the contracts they sign with managed care entities.  Even though the anti-trust laws were put into place to prevent concentration of market power, health insurers' power has grown out of proportion, enabling them to define physician's contracts with limited fess, covered benefits and access.

S3663 (Hannon)  A4472 (Gottfried) will restore fairness in the contracting process between health care providers and large managed care plans by empowering providers, especially those in solo or independent practice, to advocate for their patients and encourage competition in the market.

Restore fairness in the contracting process between health care providers and large managed care plans - Support S3663 A4472

New York's Health Insurance Exchange is a model for the nation, facilitating necessary health coverage for over 2 million New Yorkers.

S5675 (Hannon) / A7671 (Rosenthal) ensures consumer choice by amending the public health law and the insurance law requiring health care insurers to offer coverage for health care provided by out-of-network providers (inside and outside of statewide health benefit exchange).  

The Exchange is experiencing a lack of network adequacy due to physicians being unfairly excluded from Exchange networks despite their interest to participate in the plans. In several areas of the State (HV, NYC and LI), there are NO policies available in the individual Exchange market. In addition, there are pervasive reports and frustrations over the inaccuracies on health insurers websites listing "participating" physicians who actually do not participate, are not taking new patients, or list wrong contact information.

Our Ask: Support efforts to advance S5675 (Hannon) / A7671 (Rosenthal)

NYSSPS ANNUAL ADVOCACY DAY 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Albany, NY 

On Tuesday, May 15th, 2018 you are invited to advocate for your patients and the profession during the annual New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Advocacy Day. 

The day will begin with a legislative briefing of the issues and “asks” as well as a discussion on how to maintain and advance relationships with lawmakers. 

Appointments are scheduled to begin at 10:00am and end at 4:00pm.

Why Advocate?

• Advocacy ensures issues affecting plastic surgeons and patients are recognized
• If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu 
• Regardless of your politics, the consequences of state policy affect your daily practice and cannot be ignored

Registration is open and available

 

ASPS Advocacy Summit

June 26-28, 2018
Washington Court Hotel
525 New Jersey Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001

Members of the NYSSPS will:

• Meet with members of Congress from your home and business district
• Participate in workshops on pressing state and federal legislative issues
• Learn first-hand from political analysts how Congress is shaping health care
• Network with leaders from ASPS and local, state and regional plastic surgery societies

> Register today!

We are pleased to announce that the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons has selected the law firm of Garfunkel Wild, P.C. to serve as its General Counsel and be available to serve its members.

GW’s attorneys can advise and represent you in matters including: OPMC; compliance issues; employment disputes; real estate leases and purchases; wills and estate planning; corporate transactions; litigation and arbitrations; audits and investigations; and payor disputes. With over 80 attorneys serving the health care industry, GW has, for over 35 years, focused its attention on the needs of individuals and entities that provide health care services, including thousands of physicians and physician practices.

GW’s New York offices are located in Great Neck and Albany. Many of its attorneys have enjoyed prior careers as physicians, nurses, risk managers, prosecutors, and regulators and the firm’s Albany office includes three partners who served in high-level positions within DOH.

GW is available for general legal questions. Should you retain their services, as a NYSSPS member you will receive a discount off GW’s applicable fees.

The Physician Advocacy Program that was previously run as a MSSNY member benefit through Kern Augustine Is now being administered by the firm of Weiss Zarett Brofman Sonnenklar & Levy, PC.   

If you are a member of the program, your files are now located at the Weiss firm.  Call or email:

Mathew Levy, Esq.
Weiss Zarett Brofman Sonnenklar & Levy, PC
3333 New Hyde Park Road, #211
New Hyde Park, NY  11042
516-926-3320