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Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Issues Executive Order Increasing Penalties on Health Care Providers That Intentionally Disregard Vaccine Prioritization Protocols

December 28, 2020

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Another issue popped up because every day is a new issue to deal with: possible fraud by a health care provider. You're going to see more and more of this. The vaccine is a valuable commodity and you have many people who want the vaccine. You'll have fraud in the vaccine process. It's almost an inevitable function of human nature and of the marketplace. Vaccines are valuable and there will be people who break the law. We're looking at one health care provider who may have done that.

The New York State Police has actually been pursuing an investigation. They're going to refer that case to the Attorney General's office. Attorney General Letitia James and her office is going to take it on and make it a priority. We want to send a clear signal to the providers that if you violate the law on these vaccinations, we will find out and you will be prosecuted. I'm going to sign an Executive Order that says we're very clear, the vaccines are a priority, there's not going to be any politics at play as to who gets the vaccine. We look to the CDC, federal government, for guidance and we will not tolerate any fraud in the vaccination process.

Anyone who engages in fraud is going to be held accountable. The executive order I'm going to sign today says a provider could be fined up to $1 million and revocation of all State licenses which frankly may be more of a deterrent than the $1 million and that will apply to a provider, a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, any licensed health care professional. So if you engage in fraud on this vaccine we will remove your license to practice in the State of New York so we are very serious about this and this is the type of fraud that will be uncovered on the old adage that people talk, people talk, and somebody gets a vaccine and goes out and tells his buddy, I got a vaccine, how did you get a vaccine, you're not ready, you're not on the priority list, well, you can go to this place. I was the attorney general for four years. People talk, we will find out, and it's not worth risking your license as well as a possible civil and criminal penalty.