Gov. Hochul deserves praise from the medical community in Nassau County and New York State for giving legislation to increase wrongful death awards significant consideration. “This broad, far-reaching law has serious unexpected repercussions, particularly for our already troubled healthcare system,” as Gov. Hochul observed in her New York Daily News op-ed.

Together with the Medical Society of the State of New York, Nassau County is prepared to collaborate with the governor and the Legislature to create updated laws that guarantee legal recourse for bereaved families while safeguarding the capacity of doctors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals to continue giving our patients the care they expect and deserve.

If our prices significantly increase, we will not be able to do that because we are the state with the highest liability insurance expenses. Physicians practicing in underserved communities would be disproportionately affected by the fees.

Despite having a top-notch healthcare system, New York is one of the least desired states for doctors to practice medicine. We must take action to guarantee that our state recruits and keeps licensed doctors who can offer our residents high-quality medical treatment.

We would like to recognize and express our gratitude to Dr. Parag Mehta, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York, for his fearless determination and to the staff, partners, and doctors of our great state who worked tirelessly to achieve more equitable results.

Again, we are grateful to Gov. Hochul for her request for a modified version of this law that safeguards the healthcare requirements of every New Yorker.

Dr. David Podwall

President of the Nassau County Medical Society