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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 6, 2018 10:07 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ryan A. Bizzarro |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Community Paramedicine Services Act |
| According to a 2010 national study by the RAND Corporation, between 14 and 27 percent of all emergency department visits are for nonurgent care that could otherwise take place in a primary care facility such as a doctor’s office or clinic. Therefore, the misuse of emergency services not only results in substantial costs to patients’ health insurance, but also to the overall economy. Community paramedicine offers an efficient alternative to traditional primary care and emergency services. The legislation that I will be introducing would allow emergency medical services (EMS) providers to deliver medical care to a patient in their own home or in a community setting. EMS providers, in consultation with a patient’s health care practitioner, would also be able to administer community paramedicine services such as health assessments, disease monitoring, and hospital follow-up care to patients. This groundbreaking healthcare delivery system first began in Pennsylvania in the City of Pittsburgh and is spreading throughout the Commonwealth to areas such as Erie, Altoona, Lancaster, and Harrisburg. It is my hope that this legislation would further expand community paramedicine operations in the Commonwealth in an effort to better serve our most vulnerable citizens, curb the unnecessary use of emergency services, and reduce healthcare costs. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB1113