PA lawmakers unveil patient provider legislation

Posted 9/30/09

In July, a report came out titled “Bad Medicine: How a Political Agenda is Undermining Women’s Health Care.” The report said, “Abortion restrictions on the books in 33 states and in effect in …

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PA lawmakers unveil patient provider legislation

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In July, a report came out titled “Bad Medicine: How a Political Agenda is Undermining Women’s Health Care.” The report said, “Abortion restrictions on the books in 33 states and in effect in 29 states, contradict evidence-based practices and undermine the high-quality, patient-centered care that health care providers strive to achieve.”

The report was prepared by the National Partnership for Women and Families.

In a press release about the report, John C. Jennings, MD, president of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said, “American women need unimpeded access to the care that is appropriate for them, when they need it, period. We must stop treating reproductive care of women differently than other, equally important parts of health care.”

The report was also mentioned by Pennsylvania state senator Mike Stack and Pennsylvania representative Dan Frankel on July 28 when they announced legislation intended to counter what they called “increasing efforts to insert politics into the provider-patient relationship.”

According to a press release, “The Patient Trust Act would prohibit government agencies from requiring providers to care for patients in a way that is not considered medically appropriate or forcing providers to tell patients anything that is not medically accurate. The legislation is in response to laws that have passed in several states, including Pennsylvania, that force providers to practice medicine in a way that is not in line with basic medical standards.”

The report says that Pennsylvania law requires that “health-care provider[s] must give or offer specific state-mandated information, regardless of whether it is medically appropriate.”

Pennsylvania is also one of 30 states that mandate a delay between when an abortion is sought by a patient and when it may be administered by the health-care provider.

“Patients trust that their doctor is telling them the truth, the whole truth, and that their health is the doctor’s primary concern. We should protect that trust,” Frankel said. “Patients shouldn’t worry that they are on the receiving end of a political agenda when they go to the doctor.”

Stack said, “Injecting political ideology into medical decision-making is dangerous government overreach that must be stopped. It’s a sad indictment of our system that we need a law to prevent politicians from playing doctor, but we do.”

The press release noted that some information that providers are required to give to patients is inaccurate. The release says, “For example, five states require providers to give false information to patients about a link between abortion and breast cancer, although the American Cancer Society has found no such link. Meanwhile, a law passed in Florida would prevent pediatricians from asking about guns in the home, despite the fact that the American Academy of Pediatrics considers it a best practice.”

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