Today, Governor Hochul delivered her 2026 ‘State of the State’ address. HCFANY commends the Governor for proposing initiatives that protect patients from rising health care costs, mitigate federal cuts to health care, and reduce barriers to care.

The Governor also acknowledged some key victories last year, many of which HCFANY has advocated for. This includes banning insulin cost-sharing for State-regulated insurance plans and preventing medical debt from negatively affecting New Yorkers’ access to credit. HCFANY thanks the Governor for her continued support in protecting patients.

Looking into the new year, the Governor has proposed many initiatives that align with many HCFANY advocacy goals falling under five categories: (1) protecting New York from federal health cuts, (2) immunization access, (3) oversight of hospitals and health systems, (4) prior authorization, and (5) individuals with disabilities. Her proposals plan to:

(1) Protecting New York from Federal Cuts to Health Care

• Negotiate with the federal government to find and implement another affordable coverage option for the 450,000 New Yorkers who will lose their current Essential Plan coverage

HCFANY lauds Governor Hochul’s commitment to maintaining coverage for New Yorkers affected by federal cuts. HCFANY will continue to monitor how federal health cuts will affect New York; find up-to-date impacts by county and congressional district HERE. Additionally, HCFANY recently released information on how these cuts will affect immigrants’ eligibility for health coverage HERE.

(2) Immunization Access

• Establish the State’s own immunization requirements and standards to ensure they are based on medical science and public health needs

(3) Oversight of Hospitals and Health Systems

• Require ongoing reporting and an external review on the impacts of closed health care material transactions

(4) Prior Authorizations

• Require health plans to publicly post a list of medications that they cover, also known as formularies, using a standard format
• Require insurers to report on how many claims are subject to prior authorization and how often those requests are denied
• Expand the period insurers must cover out-of-network treatment for new patients from 60 to 90 days for all health conditions and the full postpartum period
• Extend the period during which prior authorization for designated chronic conditions is valid

(5) Individuals with Disabilities

• Direct the Department of Health’s Disability and Health Program to collect and analyze data on the structural inequities New Yorkers with disabilities face to identify barriers to care

HCFANY thanks the Governor for introducing these initiatives that defend New Yorkers’ access to health care. Stay tuned, as HCFANY will review the Executive Budget in the coming weeks to determine how these proposals will be implemented.