Senate Aging and Youth Committee Approved HB 1082

IN THE NEWS:

On Wednesday, September 22, 2021, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee unanimously approved House Bill 1082. This legislation establishes an education program for healthcare providers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and further incorporates information about these diseases into existing public health outreach programs. House Bill 1082 directs the PA Department of Health to establish and maintain an “Early Detection and Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias” toolkit. The toolkit requires best practices and cognitive assessment protocols and educational resources to assist the primary healthcare workforce in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care planning for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Prior to the introduction of HB 1082, PAMED lobbyists had informal discussions with several legislators interested on this proposal and encouraged them to avoid mandating any program as part of physicians’ current CME requirements. With no physician mandate contained in the legislation, PAMED has been supportive of HB 1082.