News & Updates: Health Care

In late June, the state House of Representatives moved forward with legislation (HB 106) that will impose impossible staffing ratios that will put some hospitals out of business and raise costs for others. This legislation would only exacerbate the strain health systems across the Commonwealth are already facing due to the state’s updated medical malpractice venue rule.…

Fractures between the legislative and executive branches of state government continue to create roadblocks in finalizing the 2023-24 state budget. The fiscal year officially ended on June 30, but lawmakers have failed to reach agreement on key policies leading to finger pointing and an uncertain path forward. A budget was eventually passed but due to…

In a split 5-4 decision the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling regarding the state’s “jurisdiction by consent” statute, in the process opening the flood gates for more out-of-state plaintiffs to bring suit in high-verdict jurisdictions. By way of background, Pennsylvania’s “jurisdiction by consent” statute requires every company that registers to…

Nearly six months after the medical malpractice venue rule went into effect, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform (PCCJR) has formally requested an immediate review by the state Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee on the impact of the rule change. In two separate correspondences with the Committee, PCCJR highlighted data showing a sharp increase in…

Special Elections held in conjunction with the Primary also cemented Democrats’ razor thin majority in the state House of Representatives. The race watched most closely was for the 163rd House District in Delaware County. Both parties had strong interest in the seat – which has a history of flipping between party control – as the outcome would determine…