HARRISBURG, Jan. 16 – State Reps. Arvind Venkat, Nate Davidson, Tarik Khan, Bridget M. Kosierowski, Andrew Kuzma, Jim Rigby and Tim Twardzik have introduced a bipartisan bill that would create the Pennsylvania Medical Debt Relief Program. The legislation ( H.B. 79 ) would target the medical debt of low-income Pennsylvania residents for relief. The Pennsylvania Medical Debt Relief Program would also improve the finances of health care institutions and providers, concentrated largely in rural Pennsylvania, that regularly carry debt that is less likely to be repaid. Furthermore, the legislation would enact provisions to ensure transparency in existing hospital charity care programs and provide assistance in applying for charity care to prevent the accumulation of new medical debt. “Medical debt has been dubbed a ‘uniquely American problem,’ so it’s my hope that our bill will help provide relief to as many Pennsylvanians as possible,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “I’m proud to partner with bipartisan colleagues on this legislation that reduces the burden of affording medical care and allows families to put more food on the table.” “This legislation is more than just a policy – it's a lifeline that restores dignity, empowers families, and ensures that health does not come at the cost of hardship. I’m proud to sponsor this bipartisan measure so that vulnerable Pennsylvanians can focus on their Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – State Reps. Arvind Venkat and Natalie Mihalek have introduced legislation that would promote food allergy safety in multiple ways. House Bill 77 would mandate that menus in restaurants and food establishments contain a disclaimer regarding food allergies, posters to make servers aware of food allergies must be present in food preparation and staff areas, and establishment staff would be required to undergo food allergy safety training. “The last thing anyone should worry about while enjoying a meal with their family and friends is having a medical emergency brought on by a food allergy,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “Rep. Mihalek and I want to help ensure there are measures in place to keep Pennsylvanians protected from accidental food allergen exposures and their hazardous health effects.” “The scariest part is that someone with food allergies could do everything right, such as carrying EpiPens and asking questions, and still have a serious problem. A little information can go a long way in avoiding future catastrophes,” added Mihalek, R-Allegheny. “I’m happy to be working with Rep. Venkat on this bipartisan bill.” More than 33 million Americans have food allergies, and it is estimated that food allergies lead to 200 deaths per year. Over a 13-year period, nearly half of fatal food allergy reactions were caused by accidental food allergen exposure at a restaurant or other food Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 9 – State Reps. Arvind Venkat and Kristin Marcell have introduced bills that would enhance licensure flexibility for physician assistants related to their supervising physicians and allow Pennsylvania to join an interstate medical compact. The legislative package, H.B. 75 and H.B. 76 , would amend the physician licensure acts in Pennsylvania to allow physician assistants to work with either classification of physician -- a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine -- without having to align with the physician’s license type. Current law requires that physician assistants and supervising physicians must be licensed by the same state board. “Something as innocuous as red tape can mean the difference between life and death for patients, and it’s my duty as a physician-legislator to eliminate such unnecessary barriers,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “Representative Marcell and I are steadfast in our resolve to get these bills signed into law and safeguard the health of all Pennsylvanians.” “This legislation is a practical step toward reducing administrative burdens, allowing physician assistants and their supervising doctors to collaborate more effectively for the benefit of patients," Marcell, R-Bucks, added. "By streamlining licensing requirements, we can help healthcare professionals dedicate more time to delivering high-quality care and less time navigating unnecessary red Read more
Medical debt is an issue that disproportionately impacts rural Pennsylvanians. Efforts to reduce medical debt have been thwarted by legislators representing those communities. Read more
As an emergency physician, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of untreated mental health conditions. For far too many young people, the first time they access mental health care is in a moment of crisis – often in the ER, when their symptoms have already escalated beyond what community care could have addressed. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bills that would enhance licensure flexibility for physician assistants related to their supervising physicians passed the Pennsylvania House unanimously today. House Bills 2294 and 2295 would amend the physician licensure acts in Pennsylvania and allow physician assistants to work with either classification of physician, a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, without having to align with the physician’s license type. Current law requires that physician assistants and supervising physicians must be licensed by the same state medicine board. “Medical professionals want to help as many patients as possible, and my commonsense bills eliminate a circumstantial barrier to performing their sworn duty,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their affirmative votes and their personal investments in the health and livelihood of patients and health professionals alike.” Both bills now move to the state Senate for consideration. Read more
House Health Committee Voting Packet - October 2nd, 2024 Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bill that would provide greater oversight to the implementation of artificial intelligence by health insurance companies when determining the appropriateness of claims was the subject of an informational hearing today in the Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee. “The rapid growth in the use of artificial intelligence in the health industry may help improve the efficiency of processing insurance claims, but streamlining this process may deprive people of the human connection essential in doctor-patient relationships,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “My bill would not only keep that bond intact, but it would ensure that the deciding determination of claims is in the hands of qualified medical professionals and out of the hands of software programmed to make that call.” House Bill 1663 would place several requirements regarding AI that insurers must follow. They are: Disclosing to clinicians, subscribers and the public that claims evaluations use AI algorithms. Defining “algorithms used in claims review” as clinical review criteria and, therefore, ensuring they are subject to existing laws and regulations that such criteria is grounded in clinical evidence. Requiring specialized health care professionals who review claims for health insurance companies and rely on initial AI algorithms for such reviews to individually open each clinical record or clinical Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bill that would establish timelines for Medical Assistance applications to be approved or renewed for eligible individuals transitioning to long-term care facilities and compensate those facilities for all services provided during the application processing period was the subject of an informational hearing today in the Pennsylvania House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee. As proposed, H.B. 2320 would require the state Department of Human Services and county assistance offices meet said benchmarks. Long-term care facilities could receive part of the funds owed to them faster and request a status update on pending application(s). The department could also end reimbursement to facilities if a person’s Medical Assistance request is denied and claw back any previous interim payments in such circumstances. “Long-term care facilities are vital pillars of the health community in more ways than one. This includes maintaining quality and quantity of care as an individual’s eligibility for Medical Assistance is determined,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “We must, however, compensate these institutions in a timely manner so they can continue to perform their great work. My bill holds state and county offices accountable, in terms of MA application turnaround, and benefits patient and provider alike.” House Bill 2320 will be the subject of further deliberation in the Read more
“I dispute the findings of the Auditor General’s audit because they are rooted in a lack of understanding of key terms. Had the Auditor General engaged with me at any point on the issue of Pharmacy Benefits Managers, an issue I’ve been working on for quite some time, he would perhaps have a better grasp of the issues." Read more
Celebrates new law to reform pharmacy benefit manager policy Read more
Lawmakers tout pharmaceutical industry reform to help patients, local pharmacies Read more
Bipartisan news conference highlights impact of PBM reform on local pharmacies, patients Read more
Legislators hail new law with Cambria County pharmacists Read more
Legislation to crack down on predatory drug pricing practices clears state House and Senate Read more
“Over 140 pharmacies have closed in our Commonwealth since the beginning of the year,” said Dr. Mayank “Dr. Mak” Amin, the owner of Skippack Pharmacy. “While I stand here and celebrate our pharmacy’s 5th anniversary, we are also bleeding due to poor reimbursements and patient steering. Community pharmacies like Skippack Pharmacy vaccinated over 100,000 patients during the pandemic and provided critical supplies to those in need, but what will save community pharmacies like ours?" Read more
Benham urges state Senate vote on legislation to reform PBM practices Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – Majority House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel hailed his panel’s approval Wednesday of bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing health care disparities in rural areas by providing grants for the payment of education debt of physicians, nurses and midwives. “When rural facilities cannot attract or retain health care professionals, they can’t keep their doors open, and patients have to travel increasing distances to get basic preventative or emergency care – that’s bad for outcomes, and it’s bad for this commonwealth,” said Frankel, who worked with Republican Health Chair Kathy Rapp to develop the bill ( H.B. 2382 ). “The foundation of our health care system is its workers, so that’s where any effort to support rural health institutions must begin.” The bill received unanimous approval by the committee. The panel also approved legislation introduced by Reps. Lisa Borowski and Paul Takac that would provide more oversight of mergers and other transactions that could threaten access to health services in the commonwealth. The bill ( H.B. 2344 ) would require health systems to file notice and documentation to the Office of the Attorney General before completing critical transactions and provide the Attorney General’s office with the tools needed to do their job of protecting the interests of health care consumers. “Health systems tend Read more
House Health Committee Voting Meeting Packet - June 26th, 2024 Read more
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