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Conti Introduces Senate Bill 1187, MCARE
Abatement Bill for Podiatrists
HARRISBURG -- State
Senator Joe Conti (R-10) and Senator Robert Wonderling (R-24) today introduced
legislation that would extend the 2004 MCARE assessment abatement to
podiatrists.
Act 44 of 2003 created an abatement program for the
annual assessment imposed by the MCARE fund. Physicians in the four
highest rate classes (e.g., neurosurgeons, ob/gyns, etc.), certified emergency
physicians, nurse-midwifes, and physicians providing obstetrical services in
rural areas were granted 100% abatements; all other physicians practicing in any
other specialty received 50% abatements.
Podiatrists were excluded
from the Act 44 abatement because Act 13 of 2002 – which originally created the
MCARE fund -- gave the podiatrists the option of “buying out” their portion of
the MCARE fund and would allow them to set up their own private insurance
structure. This “carve out” was proposed because the podiatrists’ CAT
Fund/MCARE liability payouts were very small in proportion to other physician
specialties.
To date, the PA Podiatric
Medical Association and the PA Department of Insurance have not been able to
agree on an approved privatization plan. Until this matter is settled,
podiatrists will have to pay the full MCARE assessment for 2003 and 2004.
“Podiatrists are the only
specialty group required to pay the full MCARE assessment amount,
despite their limited claims,” Conti said. “Senate Bill 1187 will remedy the
inequity of their situation.”
State Representative
Douglas Reichley (R-134) has already introduced the companion legislation (HB
2617) in the House.
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