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Pennsylvania State Senate
04/24/2024 08:08 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20210&cosponId=32960
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 3, 2020 10:16 AM
From: Senator Katie J. Muth
To: All Senate members
Subject: Patient's Right to Know Act
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation that would increase transparency in patient-doctor interactions and enhance consumer protections for patients overall. 

Specifically, my legislation would require healthcare professionals to notify their patients prior to an appointment if they have been disciplined by their regulatory board for one of the following:  
  • Sexual misconduct with a patient;
  • Drug abuse that can harm patients;
  • Criminal conviction involving harm to patients; or
  • Inappropriate prescribing resulting in patient harm and five or more years of probation 
This legislation, modeled off of legislation recently passed in California, would apply to licensed healthcare professionals. 

Currently, there are no protections in statute to notify patients if a healthcare professional is facing disciplinary actions for the aforementioned reasons. 

As California State Senator Jerry Hill said, “Patients have a right to be notified of their doctor’s status so they can make informed decisions about their care.”

Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation.