Compared to national and statewide averages, rural counties in upstate New York have a much larger share of residents aged 65 and older, the latest Census Bureau estimates show. The 65+ population was 15.3 percent of the U.S. total as of mid-2016, according to census data released today. The Empire State as a whole was just a hair above the national average, with 15.4 percent of New Yorkers falling into the age category that demographers generally tag as elderly. Read More
The makers of the anti-addiction drug Vivitrol – whose controversial nationwide lobbying campaign was spotlighted by the New York Times last week – appear to be getting results in Albany. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo sprang his announcement of a five-year contract agreement with state's largest union on Tuesday afternoon— the last possible moment to win legislative approval of the deal so checks can start going out to union members. But he released absolutely no details of what he was about to ask lawmakers to approve before they end their session today. Read More
By an overwhelming margin, the state Assembly has approved a bill designed to partially inoculate New York’s government unions against a potential U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending the unions’ ability to extract dues-like “fees” from employees. Read More
State legislators have taken their mania for insurance mandates to a new extreme: They’ve passed a bill that arguably accomplishes nothing other than covering unnecessary mammograms. Read More
Before voting to mandate insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization, state lawmakers should think through what such a rule would accomplish, how much it would cost, and who would pay the bill. Read More
New York's public schools spent $21,206 per pupil in the 2014-15 school year, topping all states and exceeding the national average by 86 percent, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today. Read More
The double-digit premium hikes looming for non-group health insurance consumers in New York appear to be driven more by state and federal government policy than by the underlying cost of medical care. Read More
Having just extended nearly $1.3 billion in tax-funded giveaways to wealthy film and TV producers, New York lawmakers are ready to throw even more money at the entertainment industry. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s massive ratepayer subsidy of aging upstate nuclear power plants would be significantly modified under a bill just introduced by Senate Republican Leader John Flanagan. Read More
With time winding down on this year's legislative session, some state lawmakers are pushing for an expansion of New York's already costly, union-friendly "prevailing wage" law. Read More
As health plans across the state announce their requested premium increases for 2018, the Cuomo administration’s policy decisions are taking more blame than the turmoil in Washington. Read More