Healthcare

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 5, 2025

HB 494: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, providing for departmental powers and duties as to small personal care homes; and imposing penalties.

HB 494 amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to create new rules for small personal care homes that provide daily assistance (like bathing, medication help, or meal prep) to 3 or fewer non-relatives who don’t need full long-term care. It directly affects operators and staff of these homes by requiring annual unannounced inspections, mandatory criminal background checks for all staff, and registration with the state for administrators. Key provisions include creating a state registry for homes, setting minimum care standards through new regulations, and allowing penalties for non-compliance. The bill aims to strengthen oversight while focusing on homes that serve vulnerable adults with basic care needs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires safety inspections and background checks for personal care homes, enhancing resident safety and care standards in healthcare settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 950: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in long-term care, providing for premium rate increases.

HB 950 amends Pennsylvania's 1921 Insurance Company Law to regulate long-term care insurance premiums. It prohibits insurers from increasing premiums based on the policyholder's age or how long they've held the policy, and caps annual renewal increases at 15% of the prior year's premium. The state insurance commissioner must disapprove increases deemed excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory, or if they exceed the 15% annual cap. Insurers may request a higher increase (over 15%) only if they demonstrate unexpected high usage of policy benefits, with commissioner approval. This directly affects long-term care policyholders and insurers operating in Pennsylvania.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRegulates long-term care insurance premiums to prevent age-based increases and cap annual hikes at 15%, protecting consumers from excessive costs and discrimination in coverage.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Long-Term Care

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 21, 2025

HB 689: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in administrative organization, further providing for work-hours and leaves.

HB 689 clarifies leave policies for Pennsylvania state employees when their department, board, or commission closes due to a Governor-declared disaster emergency or other unforeseen events beyond control. If closure prevents an employee from working for at least five consecutive business days, they may be placed on unpaid leave while retaining health insurance and other fringe benefits (such as retirement contributions). Employees can choose to use accrued paid leave first before transitioning to unpaid leave. This applies to most employees but excludes those who can telework or are already furloughed, and does not affect eligibility for unemployment benefits.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill ensures state employees retain health insurance during unpaid disaster leave, protecting existing coverage continuity without restricting benefits.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnsures state employees retain health insurance and fringe benefits during forced closures due to disasters, allowing use of accrued paid leave first, protecting worker benefits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Paid Leave Public Employees Unemployment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SB 420: An Act amending the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act, providing for disclosure of complaints filed against physicians.

SB 420 amends Pennsylvania's Osteopathic Medical Practice Act to limit when complaints against osteopathic physicians must be disclosed to the public. It prevents physicians from having to share complaint details with patients or others if the state board determines no disciplinary action is needed and the complaint is closed without any penalty. This applies specifically to osteopathic physicians licensed under the Act in Pennsylvania, affecting how complaint records are handled. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareLimits public disclosure of physician complaints without disciplinary action, reducing transparency and patient access to complaint information under healthcare practice oversight.85% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 581: An Act providing for classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and for parental notification of student health care services; and establishing cause of action for violation.

HB 581, titled the Parental Rights in Education Act, prohibits public schools from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It requires schools to notify parents in writing before providing health care services (like mental health support) or administering well-being questionnaires/surveys to K-5 students, including an option for parents to withhold consent. Schools must also allow parents access to their child's education and health records and cannot retaliate against students who report violations. The bill creates a legal right for students or parents to sue schools for noncompliance within 180 days of a violation.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits K-5 curriculum on sexual orientation/gender identity, restricting academic freedom in education.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRequires parental consent for K-5 mental health services, restricting access by enabling parental denial of care.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Aug 11, 2025

HB 1796: An Act providing for confidentiality in certain communications between insurers and protected individuals.

HB 1796, the Confidential Insurance Communications Protection Act, requires insurers to keep certain health insurance communications confidential for people who fear safety risks (like domestic violence survivors). It allows "protected individuals" to request alternative communication methods (e.g., separate mailing addresses or secure emails) without needing to prove abuse, and insurers must comply within 10 business days. Insurers cannot disclose these requests to policyholders or third parties, deny coverage for making such requests, or require policyholder authorization. Violations would be enforced under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Insurance Practices Act, with potential fines or corrective orders.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects patient confidentiality for vulnerable individuals (e.g., domestic violence survivors) by requiring insurers to use alternative communication methods without proof of abuse, directly advancing patient rights in healthcare communications.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates confidentiality for health insurance communications and secure digital alternatives (e.g., secure emails), directly protecting data privacy under technology policies.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 1302: An Act providing for limitation on medical debt interest, for a penalty and for right to equitable relief.

HB 1302, the Medical Debt Interest Act, caps the interest rate on unpaid medical bills at 6% for healthcare providers (like hospitals and doctors) and medical debt collectors in Pennsylvania. The bill prohibits charging more than 6% interest on medical debt and classifies violations as unfair business practices under existing consumer protection law, allowing individuals to seek court enforcement. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCaps medical debt interest at 6%, protecting patients from excessive charges and enabling legal recourse under consumer law, directly advancing patient financial access to healthcare.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 6, 2025

SB 371: An Act providing for medical debt collection protection; and imposing duties on the Attorney General and the Department of Health.

SB 371, the Medical Debt Collection Protection Act, protects low-income patients from aggressive medical debt collection practices. It requires health care providers to screen patients for insurance and financial assistance *before* billing them for emergency or necessary care, and prohibits collectors from placing liens on primary homes or reporting debts to credit bureaus. The law also mandates a 30-day notice to patients before pursuing permissible actions like lawsuits or wage garnishment, including information about complaint procedures. It directly affects uninsured patients and those with household incomes under 300% of the federal poverty level (qualified patients), imposing new duties on the Attorney General and Department of Health for enforcement. The bill is currently pending in the Health & Human Services committee.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects low-income patients from aggressive debt collection, mandates pre-billing screening, and prevents credit reporting - enhancing healthcare access and patient rights.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Sep 10, 2025

HB 1606: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, further providing for personal needs allowance deduction for medical assistance-eligible persons in nursing facilities.

This bill changes Pennsylvania's medical assistance rules for nursing home residents. It allows eligible individuals to keep more of their personal money by adjusting how personal needs costs (like toiletries or small purchases) are deducted from their benefits. The key provision modifies the deduction calculation so residents' own funds aren't reduced when covering these daily expenses. This directly affects nursing home residents qualifying for state medical assistance programs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill modifies medical assistance deductions to let nursing home residents keep more personal funds for daily needs, improving financial access without reducing benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 704: An Act establishing the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program and the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program Fund; and imposing duties on the Department of Health.

HB 704 creates a new Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program and a dedicated funding mechanism within the Department of Health to support research on conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The bill directs the Department of Health to manage the program and administer the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Program Fund, which will provide grants for scientific studies. This legislation directly affects researchers, medical institutions, and patients seeking treatments for neurodegenerative diseases by establishing a formal structure for funding and coordinating research efforts. The bill passed the legislature in June 2025 and is now pending final action by the Governor.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates dedicated fund for neurodegenerative disease research, directly advancing medical studies and patient treatment options through new grants and program management.95% confidence

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