New law aimed to fight Lyme disease

Legislation aimed to improve treatment for patients with symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases was signed into law on Dec. 18 by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R — Garden City), gives medical practitioners more flexibility to go outside of accepted medical guidelines to combat such diseases, without fear of a state investigation.

According to Hannon, some individuals infected with Lyme disease may benefit from alternative medical treatment that is not universally accepted by the medical community. Too often, he said, doctors choose not to pursue the alternative treatment — even if they believe it is best for the patient — fearing an investigation or charges by Office of Professional Medical Conduct.

The OPMC, a branch of the state Department of Health, investigates complaints against healthcare workers.

The legislation eases existing guidance of the OPMC that discourages physicians from using new treatments that are not universally accepted by the medical community. At the same time, said Hannon, it preserves the office’s ability to protect patients and the public when valid complaints are received.

The bill was the byproduct of recommendations included in a report by the Senate’s Majority Coalition Majority Task Force on Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Diseases, which Hannon co-chaired.

The committee was formed in October 2013 to form an action plan to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases. “Tick-borne diseases, like Lyme, can be devastating,” said Hannon, who’s sixth Senatorial district includes East Meadow and Salisbury. “We need more federal funding for research to help get the situation under control.”

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, there are 300,000 cases of Lyme disease each year, the vast majority of which are centered in the Northeast.

The new law, said Hannon, ensures that determinations of effective and appropriate treatment of Lyme and other illnesses remain in the hands of medical professionals and does not subject practitioners to OPMC investigation or charges based solely on their recommendation of an innovative and effective treatment.

There are nearly 50,000 new cases of Lyme disease annually in the New York, according to Holly Ahern, co-founder of the Lyme Action Network, who added that this legislation could improve education for combating the disease among doctors and patients. “We hope that this will encourage more physicians to embrace the full range of information available for tick-borne diseases,” said Ahern, “and enable patients to better understand their treatment options.”

Richard Gottfried (D — Manhattan) and Didi Barrett (D — Hudson) sponsored the bill in the Assembly.