BILL NUMBER: S9115

SPONSOR: RIVERA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to the authority of a
hospice medical director to sign a death certificate

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Adds the authority of a hospice medical director to the list of author-
ized personnel that can sign a death certificate.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 4141 of the
Public Health Law, as it relates to a death certificate; form and
content, to include hospice medical directors or a physician designated
by the medical director as an authorized personnel to sign a death
certificate.

 
              

JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, funeral directors have expressed issues with medical
certification of death certificates for patients under hospice care,
explaining there is confusion around the responsibility of certification
for these cases. In some parts of the state, this uncertainty does not
exist, and the hospice providers sign the death certificate. However, in
other parts of the state, this is an ongoing issue that funeral direc-
tors must try to navigate.

This bill would clarify that once a patient is receiving hospice care,
the medical director can sign the death certificate. In New York City,
the local Department of Health has already mandated that the hospice
medical director sign the death certificate.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.