On August 5, 2026, Governor Hochul signed Chapter 206 of the Laws of 2026, amending New York City Administrative Code §§ 28-317.5 and 17-194.1, which establish requirements for cooling tower maintenance and monitoring to prevent the growth and spread of Legionella bacteria. The following three amendments take effect November 3, 2026: Certification: Cooling tower certifications...

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) published the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability final rule, known as HTI-5, on October 28. The rule takes effect December 28, 2026, with certain provisions effective January 1, 2027, and additional changes taking effect January 1, 2030....

As our members observe Corporate Compliance & Ethics Week 2026, GNYHA joins in highlighting the important role of compliance and privacy professionals and expressing our appreciation for all that you do. The past year has presented significant challenges, including an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, heightened Federal and state oversight, and intensified scrutiny of Medicaid program...

The New York State Department of Health’s (DOH) October 29 Dear Administrator Letter (DAL 26-13) outlines significant additions and changes to the Hospital Capacity Direct Access (HCDA) program (attached). These changes will expand automated hospital reporting, revise existing bed-capacity and census measures, and introduce additional reporting requirements over the coming months. The first deadline for...

GNYHA filed an amicus brief (attached) in the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) asserting the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program is unlawful and should be blocked. AHA’s complaint cited GNYHA survey data in support of the argument that HRSA...

New York State has successfully obligated all $212 million of its Year 1 Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding ahead of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) October 30 deadline. GNYHA thanks New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for their expedience in developing RHTP programs,...

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has adopted its Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) reporting regulations, effective October 28, 2026. DOH proposed the rule in June and issued it on an emergency basis just ahead of the MAID implementation date in August. The emergency rule was set to expire on November 1. GNYHA...

On November 9, the New York State Medicaid Drug Program (NYRx) will host a webinar on upcoming changes to reimbursement and prior authorization (PA) for select Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) practitioner administered drugs (PADs). The changes take effect on November 19. The webinar will cover the new reimbursement methodology, billing guidance, PA requirements, and clinical criteria,...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the inpatient psychiatric facility (IPF) prospective payment system (PPS) final rule for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2027, which begins October 1, 2026. The final rule updates the payment rates, revises the outlier payments, and implements the IPF patient assessment instrument (PAI). CMS also finalized changes to...

GNYHA attended 32BJ’s annual conference on hospital prices today. The “Affordability in Action: Joining Forces to Lower Hospital Prices” event featured multiple panels exploring policy options to reduce health care costs and improve affordability. The conference included a discussion of the so-called Fair Pricing Act and other legislative efforts to curb hospital price growth, hospital...

The Accreditation Council for GME (ACGME) recently finalized revisions to its Institutional Requirements (IRs), the requirements to which all sponsoring institutions must comply to maintain ACGME accreditation. Below are the key revisions included in the finalized IRs, which are effective July 2027. GME Committee (GMEC) membership will no longer require a quality improvement or a...