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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 12, 2014 03:29 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Matthew E. Baker |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Hepatitis C Screening Act |
| In the near future, I will be reintroducing legislation (former House Bill 2003) that establishes the Hepatitis C Screening Act. Hepatitis C, the most common blood borne disease in the United States, is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplantation. Pennsylvania unfortunately has one of the highest rates of Hepatitis C in the nation. In August 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines recommending anyone born between 1945 through 1965 get tested for Hepatitis C. According to the CDC, 75 percent of those who have this infectious virus do not know it. My legislation will require individuals born between 1945 and 1965 to be offered Hepatitis C testing when receiving health services as an inpatient in a hospital or when receiving primary care services in an outpatient department of a hospital, health care facility or physician’s office. House Bill 2003 passed the House with a vote of 194-0 last session. With timely, bi-partisan leadership, we can and will save the lives of many Pennsylvanians who do not currently know that they are afflicted by this disease. I hope you will join in co-sponsoring this legislation. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance in sending to you more details and documentation about this life-saving, patient centered bill. Thank you for your interest and support. PREVIOUS COSPONSORS: KOTIK, D. COSTA, MILLARD, K. BOYLE, McGEEHAN, MAJOR, W. KELLER, WATSON, B. BOYLE, COHEN, KINSEY, KRIEGER, READSHAW, MURT, R. MILLER, GINGRICH, BRIGGS, DeLUCA, O'BRIEN, EVERETT, TOOHIL, HENNESSEY, WATERS, SWANGER, PICKETT, SCHLOSSBERG, PEIFER, QUINN, CLYMER AND FABRIZIO |
Introduced as HB59