Businesses in New York State operate in one of the most difficult economic environments in the country. Burdened by high taxes — New York ranks no. 50 on the State Tax Competitive Index — and rising health care costs that are among the highest in the nation, it becomes harder each year for employers to grow, innovate, and create more jobs. 

Fortunately, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s fiscal year 2027 budget takes an important step toward reining in some of these costs for New York businesses by controlling runaway health care expenditures for everyone through reforming the state’s Emergency Medical Services and Surprise Bill Act.

How does NY's surprise billing law work?

Enacted in 2014, New York’s surprise billing law was designed to protect consumers from out-of-network emergency and surprise bills and establish an Independent Dispute Resolution, or IDR, process to resolve payment disputes between health plans and providers. While the law has shielded millions of patients from unexpected medical costs, persistent flaws in the IDR process are driving health care costs higher for employers.

Under current law, an independent arbiter will determine whether the provider’s fee or the plan’s payment is more reasonable. As part of the process,........

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