Pa. House Passes Key Telehealth Bill

June 25, 2024

The Pennsylvania House passed a HAP-supported bill to help ensure coverage for telehealth across the commonwealth.

Last evening, the House approved Senate Bill 739, sponsored by Senator Elder Vogel (R-Beaver), by a 194–8 margin. The bill requires concurrence in the Senate before it heads to the governor’s desk for final approval.

Improving access to telehealth has been a priority for HAP and the hospital community. This legislation defines reimbursement requirements for telehealth services and clarifies coverage for essential care. It also ensures payment cannot be denied simply because care is provided via telehealth.

“This is neither a Democrat v. Republican nor a Senate v. House issue,” HAP said in a recent letter to the General Assembly urging support for telehealth access. “It touches all Pennsylvanians, and we urge you to work together to get a telemedicine bill across the finish line this session.”

In other business, this morning the House Children and Youth Committee advanced House Bill 1425, which would establish a five-year plan to expand Pennsylvania’s maternal home visiting program to cover all 67 counties in the commonwealth. The bill moves to the full House for consideration.

In a letter earlier this month, HAP emphasized the ways these programs support maternal and infant health, including providing postpartum care; screenings and referrals for postpartum depression; guidance on breastfeeding, safe sleep practices, injury prevention, and nutrition; among other topics.

“Pennsylvania hospitals have supported the commonwealth’s maternal home visiting program since its inception,” the letter noted. “The Pennsylvania program, including the Nurse Family Partnership—which several hospitals have long participated in—has served as a model for the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting.”

For additional information about HAP’s state advocacy on behalf of the hospital community, contact Heather Tyler, vice president, state legislative advocacy.