HARRISBURG – The Senate approved several bills this week to promote the access and affordability of healthcare services and address other critical issues in the healthcare community, according to Senator David G. Argall (R-29), who supported the measures.
Senate Bill 857, which passed the Senate on Wednesday, would improve the availability of healthcare services by promoting telemedicine services in Pennsylvania. Telemedicine would allow care providers to deliver services digitally through the use of apps, Skype, FaceTime and other advanced technologies.
Other bills approved this week include:
- Senate Bill 841, which would reauthorize the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council to collect and analyze data about the cost and quality of health care in the state, as well as study issues that affect access to care.
- Senate Bill 836, which would safeguard the health of student athletes by informing them and their parents about the importance of electrocardiogram (EKG) testing to detect underlying heart conditions that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
- Senate Bill 351, which would increase the penalty for an assault on a health care practitioner or technician while in the performance of duty where there is bodily injury. The penalty would increase from a misdemeanor of the second degree to a felony of the second degree.
All four bills were sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Contact: Christine Verdier
(717) 787-2637