Healthcare (Insurance)

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 24, 2025

SB 884: An Act amending the act of March 20, 2002 (P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act, in insurance, prohibiting certain adverse actions against legal reproductive health care.

SB 884 amends Pennsylvania's MCare Act to prohibit health insurance companies from taking negative actions against healthcare providers who offer legal reproductive health services, including telemedicine prescriptions for pregnancy termination to out-of-state patients. The bill specifically bans insurers from refusing to renew policies, raising premiums, or making other unfavorable changes solely because a provider offers such services permitted under Pennsylvania law. It defines "adverse actions" to include contract terminations, negative reporting to authorities, and coverage changes. This directly affects medical liability insurers and providers offering reproductive care, ensuring they cannot face financial penalties for serving patients from other states legally. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurers from taking adverse actions against providers offering legal reproductive health services, protecting patient access to care under Pennsylvania law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Telehealth Women's Health

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 29, 2025

HB 1519: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, further providing for mental illness coverage.

HB 1519 amends Pennsylvania's 1921 Insurance Company Law to require casualty insurance policies to cover mental illness treatments. This directly affects insurance companies writing casualty policies and policyholders seeking mental health services. The key provision mandates that insurers include mental health coverage in standard casualty policies, aligning it with other health coverage requirements. The bill focuses on expanding access to mental health care by ensuring it is covered under these specific insurance policies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental illness coverage in casualty insurance policies, expanding access to mental health services per healthcare policy requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Mental Health

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Mar 25, 2025

HB 618: An Act providing for health insurance access protections; imposing duties on the Insurance Department and the Insurance Commissioner; and imposing penalties.

HB 618, the Health Insurance Access Protection Act, prohibits health insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on a person's health condition, including preexisting conditions. This law applies to both individual and group health insurance policies, protecting enrollees and their dependents from discrimination in enrollment or pricing. The Insurance Department and Commissioner are tasked with enforcing these rules, and the bill includes penalties for insurers that violate the prohibitions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums for preexisting conditions, directly protecting patient access and rights in health insurance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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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 · 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 Mar 18, 2025

HB 949: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, further providing for speech therapy for stuttering.

HB 949 requires health insurance policies in Pennsylvania to cover habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy for childhood stuttering and apraxia. This applies to all health insurance policies issued, renewed, or filed with the state within 180 days of the law's effective date. The bill defines "childhood stuttering" (ages 2-6) and "apraxia" (a neurological speech disorder), specifying coverage must follow standard policy terms like medical necessity and cost-sharing. It explicitly excludes school-based therapy covered solely through an individualized education program (IEP). The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for childhood speech therapy, expanding health services access and aligning with healthcare coverage protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 622: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, further providing for billing.

SB 622 modifies Pennsylvania's Insurance Company Law of 1921 to change how non-network emergency medical services (EMS) agencies bill insurers and patients. It requires EMS agencies to submit an annual form by October 15 to receive direct payments from insurers, with the Department of Health maintaining a public registry of these agreements. The bill prohibits EMS agencies from billing patients directly when insurers pay at network rates (except for copayments/deductibles) and bans suggesting donations will avoid billing. These changes apply specifically to insurers covering emergency medical services under health insurance policies, excluding certain types like homeowner's or fixed indemnity insurance.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires direct insurer payments to EMS, prohibits excessive patient billing for non-network services, reducing financial burden and improving access to emergency care.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 25, 2025

HB 1445: An Act amending Title 40 (Insurance) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for school-based services; and, in telemedicine, further providing for insurance coverage of telemedicine.

HB 1445 requires health insurers in Pennsylvania to cover medically necessary health services provided in schools - such as mental health care, behavioral health services, and speech therapy - without denying coverage solely because the service occurs in a school setting. It prohibits insurers from excluding coverage based on location (e.g., through "school setting" or "place of service" exclusions), applying to public, charter, cyber charter, and private schools. Exceptions allow denials if services are provided by unlicensed individuals, are not medically necessary per insurer policies, or conflict with existing legal obligations (like IEPs). This law directly affects students receiving school-based care, insurers, and school entities, ensuring coverage parity for services delivered on school premises.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires insurers to cover school-based health services (mental health, therapy) without location-based denials, enhancing student access to care and supporting educational well-being.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for school-based mental health, behavioral health, and speech therapy services, prohibiting location-based exclusions to expand access to care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Insurance Telehealth

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jul 22, 2025

SB 936: An Act requiring health insurance policies to provide coverage for postexposure prophylaxis HIV medication.

SB 936, the "PEP for Pennsylvania Act," requires all health insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania to cover the cost of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) HIV medication - FDA-approved drugs taken after potential HIV exposure to prevent infection. It mandates this coverage for all qualifying health insurance plans (excluding dental, vision, or limited benefit policies) starting 60 days after the law takes effect, and prohibits insurers from placing PEP medications in higher-cost specialty tiers solely for profit. The bill also prevents insurers from requiring unnecessary counseling from infectious disease specialists to access PEP, unless medically needed. This directly affects Pennsylvania residents with health insurance by ensuring access to critical HIV prevention medication without financial barriers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for HIV PEP, preventing cost barriers and expanding access to preventive care for high-risk individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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