April 27, 2021 HAP and Pennsylvania’s Health Care Community Ask Lawmakers to Continue Telehealth Flexibilities after Pandemic Ends HAP, WellSpan Health, and Pennsylvania’s health care community today urged state lawmakers to continue the COVID-19 regulatory flexibilities that have ensured safe access to care and to build off the outstanding innovations in telehealth during the past year.
April 22, 2021 PA Senate Hearings Provide Update on State Budget, Pandemic Response Closing out this year’s lineup of state budget hearings, agency secretaries with the Department of Health, General Services, and the state Budget Office answered questions about Governor Wolf’s 2021–2022 state budget proposal and outlined their challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 19, 2021 Committee Moves Important Informed Consent Legislation Today the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee took up Senate Bill 425, sponsored by Senator John Gordner (R-Columbia), which addresses workflow issues impacting patient care and the process of obtaining informed consent. These issues were brought about by a 2017 Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCare) Act, under the Shinal v Toms case, regarding a physician’s ability to delegate the duty to obtain the informed consent of a patient prior to specified procedures.
April 09, 2021 HAP Joins Legal Effort to Protect Fair Share Act HAP has joined a coalition of advocates urging the full Pennsylvania Superior Court to rehear arguments in a case that could upend a decade of legal precedent and dramatically change how damages are paid in civil cases.
April 07, 2021 HAP Opposes Bill Banning Essential Recruitment Tool for Hospitals and Health Systems Today, the House Health Committee passed a bill that would prohibit the use of the restrictive covenants, also known as non-compete agreements, in employment agreements between employers and health care practitioners. The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) opposes the legislation.
March 31, 2021 PA Expands COVID-19 Vaccination to All Adults by April 19 The Pennsylvania Department of Health today announced the next steps in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, allowing individuals in Phase 1B to start scheduling appointments next week and opening eligibility to all Pennsylvania adults by April 19.
March 31, 2021 HAP Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Expansion Timeline Today, Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam announced Department of Health’s roadmap for expanding eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. The timeline includes a phased approach to opening by April 19 eligibility to all Pennsylvanians aged 16 or older. Following the announcement, Andy Carter, president and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) released a statement.
March 25, 2021 State Legislation Would Extend, Study COVID-19 Flexibilities beyond the Pandemic State lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would extend the administrative waivers and flexibilities that have helped ensure safe access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 23, 2021 Bills Continue to Move through Legislative Process, Strengthening the Health Care Workforce Today in Harrisburg, both chambers continued to move HAP-supported legislation through the legislative process. All three bills fall in line with the hospital community’s call to make policy changes to support Pennsylvania’s health care workforce now and in the future.
March 15, 2021 HAP-Supported Workforce Bills Clear First Hurdle Earlier today, the House Professional Licensure Committee passed two legislative proposals that would take steps to strengthen Pennsylvania’s health care workforce.