• Scope of Practice - CRNPs continue to push legislators to grant them the same autonomous clinical authority as physicians. Senate Bill 25, having passed the Senate for the second straight session, currently awaits consideration by the House Professional Licensure Committee. House Bill 100, a companion bill to Senate Bill 25 is on the same docket. CRNPs are aggressively lobbying legislators…physicians must do the same if we are to preserve a collaborative system that is the model in 28 other states across the country.

• Prior Authorization - House Bill 1194 by Representative Steven Mentzer of Lancaster County, and Senate Bill 920 by Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill of York County seek to improve patient care and relieve physicians of the many frustrating hurdles that health insurers require physicians to navigate. It is quickly becoming clear to both lawmakers and patients that prior authorization needs reformed as more and more patients are facing denials for services recommended by their physician. Positive change will largely be driven by patient and physician engagement on this issue since overcoming the political influence of the state’s health insurance industry will be challenging.

• Out of Network Billing - House Bill 1862 has been formally introduced and passed the House Insurance committee. Efforts are underway to seek amendments to the legislation that will level the playing field between providers and insurers while at the same time remove patients from the middle. PAMED supports the Kaufer and Rothman Amendments to HB 1862.

• Act 112 of 2018 - Recently, Rep. Jozwiak authored HB 2103 which seeks to exempt specific cardiac testing from notification requirements, as well as redefining “diagnostic imaging service” and removing the definition of “significant abnormality.” PAMED continues to support legislation aimed to amend and improve Act 112 of 2018.