Lancaster Physician Winter 2021 - 39

WINTER 2021

adapting to the change in law. Recently,
PAMED gov't relations received a request
to advocate the inclusion of both radiology
practitioner assistants (RPA) and Radiologist
Assistants (RA) (Dr. Wildenhain-Interventional Radiologist/Washington, PA). Over
the course of the current session, PAMED
heard of various attempts to include this
bill in possible House deals/trade-offs, but
it received no movement.

House Bill 2200 - (Gaydos) - House
companion bill.

recovery specialist. Passed the House (122-72)
and stalled in the Senate Judiciary committee.

Senate Bill 181 - (Brooks) - Provides for
mandatory CME in Lyme disease and related
tick-borne diseases for health care professionals-PAMED opposes any mandatory CME
and communicated this in recent stakeholder
meeting with the Senator's staff. The bill
received no committee action.

House Bill 2103 - (Jozwiak) - Patient
Test Result, i.e., Act 112 remedy-Passed the
House (202-0). PAMED worked to advance
this bill, but it died in the Senate Health and
Human Services committee.

Senate Bill 340 - (Killion) - Seeks to
allow genetic counselors to order genetic
testing-we have participated in numerous
stakeholder discussions to come to agreed-upon language before the bill is ready for " prime
time. " Introduced and referred to the Senate
Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure committee, where it remained.

HOUSE BILLS/RESOLUTIONS:
House Bill 1862 - (Pickett) - OON/
Surprise billing-This bill was originally
fast tracked, but with 30+ entities voicing
opposition it was put on hold. We continue
to oppose it in the current form, while we
support amendments proposed by Rep.
Kaufer and Rep. Rothman dealing with
the commercially reasonable standard and
independent dispute resolution. Various meetings and discussions with House leadership
continue to occur and have this legislation
in " stalemate " of sorts where it will not go
as is, but also will not go against the drafter's
(Chairman Pickett) original intent/language.
No movement on this bill was a positive
outcome for PAMED as it stalled before the
full House.

Senate Bill 325 - (Gordner) - Recognizes Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
(CRNAs) under Pennsylvania statute-Passed
the Senate (49-0) and has been referred to the
House Professional Licensure Committee,
where no further action was taken.
Senate Bill 90 - (Killion) - Extreme Risk
Protection Orders (ERPOs)-Temporarily
restricts an individual's access to firearms when
they clearly present a danger to themselves
and others.
Senate Bill 870 - (Killion) - Physician
Assistants (PAs) - Seeks to help physician
assistants work and practice with increased
efficiency. The bill allows for modernization
for physician assistants to practice while maintaining their role under supervising physicians.
These bills were voted favorably out of the
Senate Consumer Protection & Professional
Licensure committee and then stalled.
Senate Bill 871 - (Killion) - Companion
bill amending the DO act.
Senate Bill 993 - (Brooks) - Seeks to assist
small businesses in providing health care benefits
to their employees by the formation of group
association health plans-It was likely that the
Senate version would move as it contains additional language providing for elasticity pending
the outcome of federal litigation around the
issue, but it stalled in committee.

House Bill 533 - (Owlett) - Credentialing
- Passed the House (187-0)-After various
stakeholder meetings, it is likely that Senator
Brooks will be introducing a new version of
this bill, which will have to go back to the
House at some point if it is to move. This bill
received no action in the Senate Banking and
Insurance committee.
House Bill 944 - (Fritz) - Allows the
auditing of subcontractors to PBMs-Passed
the House (197-0). No movement on this bill
from Senate Health and Human Services.
House Bill 79 - (Isaacson) - Lead testing
for children-PAMED did not take a position
other than to say that we are following the
lead of the pediatricians. This bill came out of
House Children and Youth and received first
consideration from the full House, then stalled.
House Bill 137 - (Quinn) - Drug
Overdose-Requires overdose victims to be
taken to and receive evaluation by a certified

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

House Bill 1743 - (Sonney) - Disclosure
of disingenuous physician complaints-This
bill would no longer require physicians to
acknowledge the existence of a complaint
filed against their medical license if the case
were closed without any formal action. Bill
was referred to House Professional Licensure
where it saw no action.
House Bill 1947 - (Kaufer) - IMG-
Seeks to modernize the process by which
graduates of international medical schools
become licensed. Passed the House (202-0)
and advanced to the Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure committee,
where it stalled.
House Bill 916 - (Stephens) - Deals with
alcohol monitoring as a condition of bail for
repeat DUI offenders-Our concern is not
with this bill but the proposed amendment
from Rep. Klunk which would require the
use of MAT (and behavioral counseling) as
a condition of ARD. Passed the House (14251) and Senate (46-3) with amendments but
failed to get concurrence in the House.
House Bill 1075 - (Stephens) - ERPOs-
Creates an alternative to the 302 process.
PAMED has written in support and has
policy to support. It was always unlikely that
either of these bills moved in an election year
by Republican majorities in both chambers
as they are viewed by many as restrictions on
the Second Amendment/gun rights. Neither
of these bills received committee votes.
House Bill 891 - (Rothman) - Addressed
patient access to experienced physicians-Dr.
Kakaria bill introduced by Rep. Rothman
after significant engagement; stakeholder
meeting conducted with the Chairwoman
of the House Insurance Committee. Bill was
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Lancaster Physician Winter 2021

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