Skip to main content

View more from News & Articles or Primerus Weekly

By James P. Lagios

New York hospitals will soon be required to update their patient rights and responsibilities notices with information regarding surprise bills, the independent dispute process and caregiver designation.

The notification requirements follow other recent changes in New York’s patient rights law pertaining to consumer protections against surprise medical bills and the ability to designate a caregiver following discharge.

The legislation, signed by the governor in mid-August, requires hospitals to post notices informing patients of their rights to:

  • Be held harmless from surprise bills and emergency service bills
  • Submit surprise bills to an independent dispute process
  • View a list of the hospital’s standard charges
  • Know which health plans the hospital participates with
  • Designate a caregiver

On admission, patients and their legal representative should be informed of their rights and responsibilities.

Hospitals have until February 2017 to comply with these new notification requirements.

Resources:

New York State Department of Health