Central PA Medicine Fall 2020 - 26

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LEGISLATIVE
UPDATES

QUARTERLY LEGISLATIVE
UPDATES FALL 2020

he Pennsylvania General Assembly is now in the final (HB1194 and SB920) and recently conducted a stakeholders' meeting
days of the 2019-Regular session covering 2019-2020. with the prime sponsor of SB920 (Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill)
While the current environment has changed the dynamics and the chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
in Harrisburg and how legislative activity is occurring, (Senator Scavello). We continue to be actively engaged on out-of
we have pushed forward with key advocacy issues and continued -network-balance billing legislation (HB1862 Rep. Pickett) and
to conduct stakeholder meetings and legislative visits on the most oppose in its current form. This is an important issue at both the
important advocacy issues to physician members. These include state and federal level and while the issue needs to be addressed, the
prior authorization reform, scope of practice, out-of-network current bill falls short of removing the patient from the middle and
balance billing, IMGs, physician immunity during COVID-19 is extremely pro-insurer. However, amendments have been drafted
and various other ancillary issues.
to address these issues and if they were to be included in the bill,
PAMED
would change our position to support the legislation.
Both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly have
HB1947
(Rep.
Kaufer), which seeks to modernize the process by
approximately ten session days left each, however, many pundits
which
graduates
of international medical schools become licensed,
around Harrisburg are anticipating a 'sine die' session which would
advanced
to
the
Senate after final passage by the House and is
include additional days to move legislation. Of primary focus for the
expected
to
pass
that
chamber and reach the Governor's desk before
legislative member will be passing a budget for the Commonwealth
the
end
of
the
session.
HB2103 (Rep. Jozwiak) is a proposed
as the pandemic forced the passage of a temporary 5-month budget
fix
to
Act
112
re:
patient
test results and we have been working
as legislators were not able to conduct normal budget proceedings
diligently
with
the
House
Health Committee to come up with
as a result of the pandemic.
appropriate language and advance this legislation. This bill is now
Even though there are a few session days remaining, it is apparent up for a committee vote in the coming days. PAMED has been
that most everyone's focus has shifted to Tuesday, November 3rd, successful in getting legislation to address restrictive covenants for
election day. PAMPAC, the political action committee of the health care practitioners introduced and will be actively seeking to
Pennsylvania Medical Society, will be actively engaged in a number find language that can move this bill through the legislative process.
of races around the state and closer to election time will have a It was recently rereferred to the House Health Committee. We were
full list of candidates we are supporting and more information on pleased to see HB1457 (Rep. Schroeder) signed into law by the
how you can engage if desired. While the big focus while be on the Governor as Act 44 of 2020. This legislation provides for insurance
presidential election and other statewide races, there are a number coverage of custom breast prosthetics post breast cancer reconstrucof key races in both the Pennsylvania House and Senate. This is a tion. And finally, we are standing in opposition to HB2779 (Rep.
unique year for the Pennsylvania General Assembly as we will see Quinn), which seeks to extend the easement of regulations and
both the top-ranking members of each chamber step aside (Mike licensing requirements for various mid-level practitioners beyond
Turzai and Joe Scarnati).
what the Governor's Executive Orders provide for concurrent
Turning our attention to legislation, we remain focused on getting with the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration. PAMED opposes
movement on PAMED's top priority issues. PAMED continues this bill as it has the potential to negatively impact various scope
to push for advancement of prior authorization reform legislation of practice issues.
For more information about any of the items mentioned above,
please visit the Advocacy Section of PAMED's web site at

www.pamedsoc.org
26 Fall 2020 Central PA Medicine

http://www.dauphincms.org http://www.pamedsoc.org

Central PA Medicine Fall 2020

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