Frankel cheers committee approval of bills to support rural health care, regulate hospital mergers

Rep. Dan B. Frankel    June 26, 2024 | 2:01 PM

HARRISBURG, June 26 – Majority House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel hailed his panel’s approval Wednesday of bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing health care disparities in rural areas by providing grants for the payment of education debt of physicians, nurses and midwives.  

“When rural facilities cannot attract or retain health care professionals, they can’t keep their doors open, and patients have to travel increasing distances to get basic preventative or emergency care – that’s bad for outcomes, and it’s bad for this commonwealth,” said Frankel, who worked with Republican Health Chair Kathy Rapp to develop the bill (H.B. 2382). “The foundation of our health care system is its workers, so that’s where any effort to support rural health institutions must begin.”

The bill received unanimous approval by the committee.

The panel also approved legislation introduced by Reps. Lisa Borowski and Paul Takac that would provide more oversight of mergers and other transactions that could threaten access to health services in the commonwealth.

The bill (H.B. 2344) would require health systems to file notice and documentation to the Office of the Attorney General before completing critical transactions and provide the Attorney General’s office with the tools needed to do their job of protecting the interests of health care consumers.

“Health systems tend to argue that consolidation promotes efficiency and innovation, but data tells us that what communities receive is often higher costs without higher quality, reduction in services and movement away from local control,” said Frankel. “I’ve had front-row seats to consolidation in health care for more than a decade, as rival systems gobbled up independent hospitals in southwest Pennsylvania, and there is simply no doubt that our patients and communities need a voice in these massively impactful transactions.”