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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 5, 2021 12:14 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Christopher B. Quinn |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | LEGISLATION: Retaining Health Care Innovations Act |
| As healthcare providers and practitioners work around the clock to respond to COVID-19 with many playing central roles in vaccination distribution, declarations at both the federal and state level permitted administrative agencies to take steps to allow our essential health care workers to respond to the emergency at hand. While the emergency declaration may end at a time uncertain, Pennsylvania’s health care community and the manner in which patients receive care has changed for good. However, with the end of the declaration, many regulatory waivers and administrative flexibilities that consumers and health care providers have come to rely upon will abruptly end, raising two significant concerns. The first concern is that the virus remains a threat absent community wide vaccination, and failing to maintain the waivers and flexibilities will make it more difficult for the health care community to respond effectively and an abrupt stop will be equally disruptive to the delivery of health care. The second is that consumers are now accustomed to how they are receiving care which, out of necessity, has seen great progress and innovation which will be squandered if they are allowed to lapse. That is why I am proposing legislation (former HB2779) that will set a clear timeline for the termination of waivers and administrative flexibilities afforded to health care providers and practitioners after the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration. It will also direct the Joint State Government Committee, with the assistance of a health care professionals and administrative officials, to make recommendations as to which waivers and administrative flexibilities should remain permanently in place. Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB1011
Memo Updated: February 5, 2021 12:15 PM