The state reported 27,000 more applications completed and approved over the past week, bringing the total to 284,440.

New York financial officials on Wednesday criticized 17 New York-based life insurers for shifting $48 billion of claim risks to affiliates elsewhere with lower reserve and collateral requirements.

The New York pension fund for state and local government workers has topped $160 billion after reporting a 10.4 percent return on investment for its last fiscal year.

The company has been asked to disclose all its direct and indirect spending on politics and lobbying, filing a shareholder resolution as trustee of the state workers' retirement fund.

New York has taken several steps to establish a statewide health insurance exchange in 2014 intended to extend coverage to the uninsured and reduce costs for individuals, small businesses and local governments.

New York needs a dedicated stream of funding to help fill the "catastrophic lack" of legal services for the poor, despite recent judicial efforts and volunteer work by lawyers that have helped, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Thursday.

Using the $150 billion state pension fund's stock portfolio as influence, the comptroller's office said it has helped persuade 27 other big corporations to agree to new nondiscrimination policies.

The New York state pension fund for government employees has grown to an estimated $150.3 billion, with a 6 percent return on its investments.