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NY Governor signs law ensuring access to health records for those in need

Press releases may be edited for formatting or style | September 28, 2017 Health IT
In a huge win for disabled New Yorkers, a bill (A7842/S6078) that will streamline the process for thousands of New Yorkers needing to obtain their own health records has been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Accurate and comprehensive health records are needed for applications to Social Security, certain veterans’ benefits, disability-based Medicaid as well as other government programs. Unfortunately, even though previously existing law prohibited charging people who cannot afford to pay for access to their medical records, complicated processes for determining indigence and outsourcing of record management have made utilization of that law difficult and time-consuming.

Legal Advocates from Empire Justice Center, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), Queens Legal Services, and Urban Justice Center struggled with this issue for years when advocating on behalf of disabled clients, and worked with Assemblymember Richard Gottfried and Senator David Valesky to develop a solution that would help all parties involved. The resulting bill was passed at the end of this past legislative session in June. Recognizing the importance of this common sense legislation, Governor Cuomo signed it into law today.
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“We have a right to our own medical records,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair and bill sponsor Richard N. Gottfried. “Paying for hundreds of pages is a barrier to getting public benefits for low income New Yorkers. I thank the Governor for signing this important legislation.”

"Low income disabled New Yorkers need to be able to obtain the health records critical to proving their eligibility for benefits," said Louise Tarantino, Senior Attorney for Empire Justice Center. "The signing of this bill into law will not only facilitate the statewide work of Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) representatives on behalf of their disabled clients, it will enable countless disabled New Yorkers and veterans to better advocate for themselves. We applaud the Governor’s recognition that meaningful access to one's own medical history is both reasonable and just.”

When New Yorkers who are disabled have timely access to their own medical records, they can submit strongly supported applications for government benefits, saving time and money. Without these records, eligible applicants are denied. With wait times for appeals of Social Security benefits and Veterans benefits of more than a year, a denial at the application stage often means the difference between keeping or losing your home.

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