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Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=17067
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 30, 2015 11:56 AM
From: Senator Vincent J. Hughes
To: All Senate members
Subject: Hepatitis C Screening Act (HB 2003 of 2013-2014)
 
In the near future I will be a introducing a Senate version of HB 59, the Hepatitis C Screening Act.

Pennsylvania unfortunately has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C in the nation. The good news is that there is now hope as this silent and often deadly infectious disease can now be increasingly cured. However, we need to ensure that public policy keeps pace with biomedical innovation.

HB 59, through the excellent work of Rep. Matt Baker (R-Bradford), passed the House by a vote of 194-0 as HB 2003 in March of 2014. Unfortunately, the bill did not make it through the Senate prior to the Senate’s adjournment sine die in October of 2014.

The legislation would require, with certain exceptions, health care providers and hospitals (in the in-patient and out-patient settings) to offer to screen those in the designated birth cohort (born between 1945 and 1965) for Hepatitis C through a Hepatitis C screening test or a Hepatitis C diagnostic test. If an individual accepts the offer and the screening test is reactive, the health care provider would be required to provide follow up care or to refer the individual to a health care provider that could provide follow-up care.

Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation. If you have any questions, please contact my Chief Counsel, Mark Mekilo, at 7-7112 or mmekilo@pasenate.com at your convenience.



Introduced as SB423