S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                      6675
                           1997-1998 Regular Sessions
                              I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                 March 25, 1997
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    Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BALBONI, WINNER, STRANIERE, STEPHENS, WERTZ,
      RAVITZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  ALFANO,  BACALLES,  BONACIC,
      BROWN,  CONTE,  DORAN,  FERRARA,  FESSENDEN,  FLANAGAN,  HERBST, KOON,
      LABRIOLA, O'NEIL, SEAMAN, F. T. SULLIVAN -- read once and referred  to
      the Committee on Codes
    AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to creat-
      ing a cause of action for medical abandonment
      The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
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    bly, do enact as follows:
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 1    Section 1. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new
 2  section 213-c to read as follows:
 3      213-c. Medical abandonment. Notwithstanding any provision of law to
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 4  the contrary, an action to recover damages for personal injury or wrong-
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 5  ful death caused  by  the  arbitrary,  capricious,  negligent  or  other
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 6  tortious  decision  of a health maintenance organization or medical care
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 7  facility to withhold or  diminish  medical  care  or  treatment  may  be
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 8  commenced  within  three  years  from the date of such decision. For the
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 9  purposes of this section, "health maintenance  organization"  means  any
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10  person,  natural  or  corporate, or any groups of such persons who enter
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11  into an arrangement, agreement or plan or any  combination  of  arrange-
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12  ments or plans which propose to provide or offer, or which do provide or
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13  offer, a comprehensive health services plan; and "medical care facility"
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14  means  a  facility  certified pursuant to article twenty-eight or forty-
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15  four of the public health law.
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16     2. This act shall take effect immediately.
     EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
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                          [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                               LBD06705-02-7