The state of New York will soon authorize any eligible healthcare provider in good standing to treat injured workers.

Effective January 1, 2028, “universal” provider authorization is the culmination of a years-long effort to dismantle barriers to provider participation in the workers’ comp system. With only about 10% of eligible providers currently authorized, this expansion will increase the number of providers who can treat injured workers by roughly 800%.

By eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and expenses for providers, New York will drastically improve access to care, particularly in rural areas, where injured workers often must travel out of county to seek treatment that local providers could easily render.

It’s another huge step forward for New York, which has made historic strides in better enabling and facilitating workers’ comp treatment with a string of recent reforms.

Removing a “Cumbersome and Outdated” Barrier

Currently, New York’s Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) has authorized only about 10% of New York’s 200,000 medical providers to treat workers’ comp claimants.

As a result, according to a state website, 40% of injured workers must travel to a different county to find a provider, with rural and suburban claimants driving an average of 35 miles or more for treatment. As one New York doctor noted, there are currently only seven WCB-authorized pulmonology specialists in total across 16 rural counties to treat “not uncommon” work-related respiratory issues.

Starting in 2028, providers will no longer need to undergo the WCB authorization process to accept workers’ comp patients. As a WCB notice announced:

“Governor Hochul will eliminate this cumbersome and outdated authorization process, allowing any eligible licensed medical provider in good standing to treat workers’ compensation claimants if they choose.”

NY Reforms Gaining Steam

The universal authorization legislation will also “allow for the Board to develop substantial training and engage in direct outreach to attract much needed medical providers into the workers' compensation system [emphasis ours].”

To further entice providers, the WCB has:

• Moved all Prior Authorization Requests to an online digital format
• Mandated electronic billing statewide (and allowed providers to bill payers to offset the cost thereof)
• Allowed resident and fellow physicians to treat injured workers
• Proposed an increase to fee schedule rates to make comp reimbursements “competitive with private insurance”

New York is wielding the sledgehammer of common sense to demolish many of the obstacles that make providers hesitant to take on comp patients. By reducing complexity, digitizing administrative processes, and incentivizing participation, the state and WCB are sparing no effort in getting more providers to say “yes” to treating injured workers.

Other states struggling with provider shortages and excessive claim durations and expenses should pay close attention. New York is setting a new standard.

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