HB 2712 — An Act amending the act of July 20, 1974 (P.L.564, No.193), known as the Peer Review Protection Act, further providing for definitions and for confidentiality of review organization's records.

Bill Text

• Printer's No. PN3794 View text Current pdf

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill updates and expands definitions related to peer review and confidentiality provisions in the Peer Review Protection Act.

• Section 2

  of who possess credentials equal to or greater than the credentials of the professional → who possess credentials equal to or greater than the credentials of the professional

  Clarifies the definition of peer review regarding credential requirements.

• Section 2

  including practice analysis, inpatient hospital and extended care facility utilization review, medical audit, ambulatory care practice review, claims review, [and the compliance of a hospital, nursing home or convalescent home or other health care facility] → including practice analysis, inpatient hospital and extended care facility utilization review, medical audit, ambulatory practice review, claims review, quality improvement review, evaluation of professional health care provider qualifications and clinical activities for credentialing purposes, professional health care provider performance and clinical competency review, morbidity and mortality review and other compliance review of a hospital, nursing home or convalescent home or other health care facility or service operated by a professional health care provider

  Broadens the scope of what constitutes peer review activities.

• Section 2

  of psychological, nursing, dental, optometric, pharmaceutical, chiropractic, podiatric organizations → psychological, nursing, dental, optometric, pharmaceutical, chiropractic, podiatric organizations and other professional health care provider organizations

  Expands the definition of professional associations to include more types of health care provider organizations.

• Section 2

  [or] an administrator of a hospital, nursing or convalescent home or other health care facility; [or] → an administrator of a hospital, nursing or convalescent home or other health care facility;

  Removes redundancy in how administrators are listed in the definition of professional health care providers.

• Section 2

  [...health care field under the laws of this Commonwealth or the state in which the professional health care provider is employed, practices medicine or resides;] → ...health care field under the laws of the Commonwealth or the state in which the professional health care provider is employed, practices medicine or resides;

  Streamlines the wording for clarity in the definition of professional health care providers.

• Section 2

  [...] and any committee established pursuant to the medical assistance program, and any committee established by one or more State or local professional societies, to gather and review information relating to the care and treatment of patients for the purposes of (i) evaluating and improving the quality of health care rendered; (ii) reducing morbidity or mortality; or (iii) establishing and enforcing guidelines designed to keep within reasonable bounds the cost of health care. → any committee established under a medical assistance program, including any subcommittee or individual designated by the subcommittee and any committee or subcommittee established by one or more State or local professional societies or associations, or individual designated thereby, to gather and review information relating to the care and treatment of patients for the purposes of evaluating and improving the quality of health care rendered; reducing morbidity or mortality; health care education; or establishing and enforcing guidelines designed to keep within reasonable bounds the cost of health care.

  Revises and expands the definition of review organization to include additional purposes and clarify committee responsibilities.

• Section 4

  [The proceedings and records of a review committee shall be held in confidence and shall not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil action against a professional health care provider arising out of the matters which are the subject of evaluation and review by such committee and no person who was in attendance at a meeting of such committee shall be permitted or required to testify in any such civil action as to any evidence or other matters produced or presented during the proceedings of such committee or as to any findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions or other actions of such committee or any members thereof: Provided, however, That information, documents or records otherwise available from original sources are not to be construed as immune from discovery or used in any such civil action merely because they were presented during proceedings of such committee, nor should any person who testifies before such committee or who is a member of such committee be prevented from testifying as to matters within his knowledge, but the said witness cannot be asked about his testimony before such a committee or opinions formed by him as a result of said committee hearings.] → Review organization records shall be held in confidence and shall not be subject to disclosure, including disclosure in discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil action or administrative proceeding against a professional health care provider arising out of the matters which are the subject of evaluation and review by the review organization. No individual who was in attendance at a meeting of the review organization shall be permitted or required to testify or otherwise discuss, disclose or produce in any civil action or administrative proceeding as to any evidence or other matters produced or presented during the proceedings of the review organization or as to any findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions or other actions of the review organization or any members of the review organization.

  Strengthens the confidentiality protections for review organization records in civil actions and administrative proceedings.

Action History

1. July 24, 2026

   Referred to Professional Licensure

Sponsors

• Timothy R. Bonner · Primary
• Rob W. Kauffman · Cosponsor
• David H. Zimmerman · Cosponsor

Subjects