b'PEP-PAC UpdateBy Michael Boyd, MDthe Senate Health and Human ServicesSB 1182 Certificate of Merit Legislation Committee. PEP-PAC has lobbied inis being reviewed in the Senate support of this bill. Judicial Committee. This legislation PACEP and PEP-PAC are also supportingstipulates that a plaintiffs claim must HB 1512 and its companion SB 739be accompanied by a Certificate of pertaining to tele-medicine. The billsMerit from a physician stating that the mandate that insurance companiesdefendant deviated from an acceptable cover medically necessary andprofessional standard. The physician appropriate tele-medicine services.signing the Certificate of Merit must be Currently, many insurance companiesa practicing physician in Pennsylvania do not reimburse for tele-medicinein the same or similar specialty as the resulting in uncompensated care. PACEPdefendant. This would stop the current has supported tele-medicine legislationpractice of plaintiffs attorneys brining Michael Boyd, MDin outside experts who do not currently PEP-PAC Chair for many years and it seems that there ispractice medicine and often arent in finally momentum to push it across thethe same specialty or even remotely The Pennsylvania Emergencyfinish line.qualified to comment on the matter. Physicians Political ActionMedical malpractice reform has been anThis Certificate of Merit, among other Committee (PEP-PAC) is the lobbyingeven more pressing issue ever since thestipulations in the bill, would greatly arm of PACEP. At its core, lobbyingPennsylvania Supreme Court enactedreduce frivolous malpractice lawsuits. is a means of educating legislatorsa procedural change enabling venueThese issues have a real, tangible about issues affecting us. PEP- shopping for medical malpracticeimpact on our profession and livelihood. PAC uses its resources to attendcases.Venue shopping allows plaintiffsThe momentum in Harrisburg for fundraisers with lawmakers onattorneys to sue in any Pennsylvaniameaningful change is greater now that both sides of the aisle, fosteringcounty in which care occurred, wherein recent memory. relationships with them so that theya defendant could be served, or where can draw on our expertise regardingany transaction or occurrence giving risePEP-PAC needs your contributions to the suit took place. Plaintiff attorneys healthcare issues. have already started bringing theirso that our voices can be heard. Several PACEP supported measures arecases to Philadelphia County in drovesThese problems face us every advancing in Harrisburg.Philadelphia county jury verdictssingle shift, and we are the experts average higher than twice the nationaluniquely positioned to present real HB 1633 sponsored by House Healthaverage, and plaintiffs are more thansolutions. Remember: you either Committee Chair Dan Frankel andtwice as likely to win in Philadelphiahave a seat at the dinner table or former PACEP president Arvind Venkatcompared to the national average.you are on the dinner plate.will ban healthcare noncompeteVenue shopping increases insurance agreements and restore physicianspremiums, drives physicians out of the rights to freely practice where andstate, increases cost of care, inundates when they chose. This improves patientphysicians with frivolous lawsuits andDONATE NOW access to care to enables physicianslimits access to health-care, especially the flexibility to pursue their bestfor women, by forcing the closure of employment opportunities.It passedhighly litigated services, such as Labor the House and will likely be referred toand Delivery. PACEP News | Summer 2024 23'