Sep. 29, 2020
HARRISBURG – The House today unanimously approved legislation by Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Franklin/Fulton) to ensure all Pennsylvanians have access to quality health care.
Topper’s
House Bill 2584 would permit the Commonwealth to fully join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, allowing practitioners to use telemedicine to treat patients in all member states.
“The past few months have shown the importance of and need for virtual health care services,” Topper said. “Even during more normal times, telemedicine is vital in ensure all residents, particularly those in rural areas, have access to needed services from some of the best medical minds in the country.”
Specifically, House Bill 2584 provides an update to the background check aspect of
Act 112 of 2016, Topper’s original telemedicine law, which allowed the Commonwealth to join the compact. Pennsylvania was unfortunately not able to fully join the compact due to concerns about sharing criminal background check information raised by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Topper’s latest bill fixes the issue, allowing Pennsylvania to fully join the compact, which currently has 25 member states. House Bill 2584 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Jesse Topper
78th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives