In June, the state House and Senate continued a troubling trend of passing well-meaning legislation that intrudes into the physician-patient relationship. If signed by the Governor, House Bill 2111 will require a health care practitioner that administers, or causes to be administered, a test for Down syndrome to an expectant or new parent to, upon receiving a positive test result, provide the expectant or new parent with educational information made available by the Department of Health.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society has consistently opposed this and other legislation that strips a physician of the ability to use his or her best clinical judgment in treating individual patients, each of whom may have unique challenges or health issues. This bill forces a physician to use one-size-fits-all, state-issued material that may not be appropriate for every patient.
