The state Senate Banking and Insurance Committee has approved Senator Don White’s bill requiring insurance companies and Medicaid to reimburse emergency medical services agencies such as Citizens Ambulance for providing services even when transport to a hospital is not required. That was one of three bills authored by White that saw action yesterday.
It’s an issue that has become increasingly common as the opioid epidemic had worsened, with overdose patients revived with the use of Narcon refusing further medical treatment, and the ambulance service stuck with the expenses of responding to the scene.
The committee also approved Senator White’s bill establishing a Pharmaceutical Transparency Commission, which would review drug prices in the state and require pharmaceutical companies to disclose information on their pricing.
Senator White says this is only the beginning of Pennsylvania’s efforts to get drug prices under control. The commission would be funded through an annual assessment on pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The two bills will now go to the full Senate for consideration.
The full Senate has approved another of Senator White’s bills, addressing another concern that has become more pressing with the opioid crisis. White’s bill restores “standing” for grandparents seeking custody of their grandchildren when the parents are not involved.
A bill enacted in 2010 amended the grandparent custody and visitation statute, with the effect being that grandparents were stripped of their automatic right to file for custody of a grandchild.
White says there have been cases where a boyfriend or girlfriend have been awarded custody after an overdose death, even when grandparents were involved in the child’s life. He says that under current law, the grandparents do not meet the conditions to have the right to pursue custody, but a third party who resided with the child and was acting in ‘loco parentis’ (performing parental duties) would have the right. He says, “That’s just not right for the grandparents or the child.”
“Standing” would get the grandparents into the courtroom, where the best interests of the children could be taken into account.
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