HOW PA-ACP IS ADVOCATING FOR YOU
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACP takes its responsibility of advocating for members’ needs seriously, and the 2023-2024 state legislative session has been no exception. Your dues dollars are important, and they help make a real difference for you and your patients.
During 2023, PA-ACP took the lead in several areas, and had major successes.
Advocacy on Key State Public Health and Policy Issues
PA-ACP led efforts with the state legislature to move several other bills to become law, including extension of the COVID-19 waivers for licensing and telemedicine and making use of telehealth for MH outpatient oversight permanent. Other key bills passed with PA-ACP’s engagement were a law reversing a state Supreme Court decision to allow staff members to secure informed consent, one expanding access to PACE and PACENet for 20,000 seniors, and another allowing physicians to refuse supervision of more than four Physician Assistants without retribution or liability. PA-ACP also pushed for and secured full funding in the Medicaid program for Academic Medical Centers.
The chapter also blocked bills to allow independent CRNP practice, and is supporting a pilot project in federal HPSA’s; and prevented expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy interns. PA-ACP also prevented several bills that would have inserted government into the physician-patient relationship.
The Supreme Court rescinding med mal venue rules set in 2003 was a blow to medicine already being felt in higher insurance premiums. PA-ACP worked with legislative leaders, provided information for independent studies, and supported legislation allow venue rules to be established by the General Assembly.
Physician Wellness and Support for Physician Practices
PA-ACP heard you on the reality of physician burnout, and has been working for changes to the practice environment to help address this. The Chapter met with our Congressional delegation to secure cosponsors and passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, now law, which is aimed at reducing and preventing suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions in practitioners. The bill was sponsored by PA Congresswoman Susan Wild, and cosponsored by six other Pennsylvania members of Congress.
In Harrisburg, the Chapter advocated for legislation to ease your administrative hassles, including elimination of non-compete agreements and a mandate for prompt credentialing. We supported full participation in the Interstate Licensure Compact, and a bill eliminating the requirement that physicians acknowledge any complaints filed against their medical license if the Department of State’s enforcement and investigations staff find then frivolous or meritless.
Taking Your Message to Harrisburg and Washington
PA-ACP led delegations of members to both Harrisburg and Washington, DC in 2023 to meet directly with elected officials. In May, two dozen members met with our state’s Congressional delegation and staff. They discussed key priorities, including exceptions for step therapy protocols, interest-free deferment on student loans while in residency programs, increasing Medicare supported GME positions, annual updates in Medicare physician payments, aligning Medicaid and Medicare payments for primary care services. and telehealth.
For the third straight year, Chapter members went to Harrisburg and met with key members and committee staff to promote administrative reforms, funding for GME, telemedicine, prompt certification and elimination of noncompete clauses in contracts, expanding access to care, scope of practice issues, med mal/venue issues, and Medicaid recertification.
Daily Presence in the State Capitol
Every day is an advocacy day in Harrisburg, and the PA-ACP retains ERG Partners to provide hands on monitoring, coordination and lobbying services with state government officials and staff. Your chapter is unique in taking this step to ensure your needs are heard and met by state government. It has ERG’s four registered lobbyists working daily in the capitol and with other stakeholder groups on issues of importance to your practice and patients.