Lancaster Physician Winter 2018 - 31

winter 2018

L to R: Robert K. Aichele, Jr., DO; Stephen T. Olin, MD; Chelsea L. Cambria, DO; Rebecca M. Shepherd, MD, MBA; Stacey S. Denlinger, DO; and James M. Kelly, MD.

HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
AND REGULATIONS
The physician leaders in attendance sought
to address the wide variety of health care laws
and regulations that Pennsylvania physicians
are required to navigate. Topics addressed
at the HOD included:
Fixing Informed Consent A recent PA
Supreme Court ruling limits the duty to
obtain informed consent to the physician
performing the surgery or treatment. PA
physicians voted to work with stakeholders
to introduce legislation to allow a qualified
physician to delegate his or her duty to obtain
informed consent to another provider that
has knowledge of the patient, patient's condition, and the procedures to be performed.
Scope of Practice Physicians voted to
approve two resolutions that reaffirmed
support of physician-led, team-based care.
PAMED will continue to strongly oppose
current and future legislation which would
establish independent practice for certified
registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs).

Similarly, PAMED will oppose any legislation that promotes the independent practice
of physician assistants (PAs) or erodes the
supervisory role of the physician with or in
relation to PAs.
Hospital Privileges Physicians voted
for a resolution to work with the legislature
and state agencies to establish regulation or
legislation to eliminate the preferential treatment of physicians with hospital privileges
in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, PAMED is
charged with seeking additional restrictions
that would prohibit a health insurer from
granting or denying preferred network status to a physician based on the presence or
absence of their hospital privileges.
PA's Hepatitis C Screening Act PAMED
will work with the legislature to draft an
amendment to the Act to better clarify what
physicians are required to do under this law.
National Practitioner Data Bank
PAMED will educate members about the
National Practitioner Data Bank and its

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

dispute process, and oppose the use of this
Data Bank to dissuade physicians from
participating on medical staffs.
Basic Life Support (BLS) Training
Physician delegates directed PAMED to
support state legislation advocating for BLS
training in schools for students prior to high
school graduation.
Formulary Equivalent Alternatives
from Denying Insurers Physicians directed
PAMED to seek legislation or regulation
that requires insurers to provide formulary
alternatives with similar mechanisms of
action at the time of prescription denial.
Opposition to Mandated Clinical
Guidelines PAMED will oppose legislation seeking to mandate clinical guidelines
(for example, mandated opioid prescribing
guidelines) and inform membership of any
new legislation that seeks to mandate such
guidelines.
Continued on page 32

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Winter 2018