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PA HB1254
Bill
Status
4/17/2025
Primary Sponsor
Tarik Khan
Click for details
AI Summary
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Creates Pennsylvania Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), a standardized medical order form that converts patient wishes about end-of-life care into immediately actionable medical orders portable across all healthcare settings
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POLST is intended for patients with serious life-limiting conditions who are at risk for life-threatening clinical events, not recommended for individuals with stable chronic conditions and years of life expectancy
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Requires voluntary consent from patient or authorized surrogate decision maker; prohibits health insurers and providers from requiring POLST as condition of coverage, admission, or care
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Phases out existing Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate (OOH-DNR) orders once Department of Health adopts initial POLST form, though previously executed OOH-DNR orders remain valid
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Establishes POLST Advisory Committee to advise Department of Health on form content and education, with representatives from medical societies, hospitals, disability rights advocates, faith-based providers, and bioethicists
Legislative Description
In health care, further providing for applicability, for definitions, for criminal penalties, for definitions, for orders, bracelets and necklaces, for revocation, for absence of order, bracelet or necklace and for emergency medical services, repealing provisions relating to advisory committee and providing for discontinuance and for Pennsylvania orders for life-sustaining treatment; and making an editorial change.
Last Action
Referred to Judiciary
4/17/2025