Proposal Presented for the Master Plan for Aging (#92)
Disclaimer
Throughout the MPA process, more than 100 proposals were developed thanks in particular to thousands of hours of work by external stakeholders and members of the public. These proposals and the MPA Council commentary are being submitted to the Governor and shared with policymakers and the public to inform policymaking. These proposals represent a starting point for discussion. Further discussion is necessary between relevant state agencies and stakeholders to both refine these proposals and assess which may be appropriate to adopt and implement.
Summary
Require all employers in New York State to provide sufficient annual time off to engage in an annual preventative healthcare visit and colon cancer screening.
Justification
About a third of American adults see a healthcare provider for an annual physical, an appointment meant to engage in preventative healthcare. However, physicals can include costly examinations and tests, and medical professionals argue that a visit with a focus on establishing relationships, medical history, social situations, and health risk assessments may provide improved engagement with preventative healthcare. Existing Civil Service Law provides time for cancer screening to prevent cancer for public employees but does not apply to non-public employees. All employees in New York State should receive sufficient paid time off to engage in annual preventative and colon cancer prevention healthcare.
Full Proposal
New York Civil Service Law section 159b provides all civil service employees named in such section with a period of time not to exceed 4 hours leave to undertake screening for cancer. To address the need for all aging New Yorkers to engage in preventative health care and address the prevalence of colon cancer:
- All employers in New York State should allow for sufficient paid time off each year to engage in an annual preventative healthcare visit and a colon cancer screening for prevention of colon cancer.
This proposal is focused on primary prevention.
MPA Council Commentary
This proposal is categorized as long-term. Policymakers may reference this proposal during the legislative session, as this initiative would require legislative action. If successfully included in statute, next steps would likely include the development of materials and guidance to help employers implement such a requirement.