Heffley to Introduce Legislation to Help Protect Pennsylvania Seniors from COVID-19

May 11, 2020

HARRISBURG – In an effort to safeguard one of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis, Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) today announced he plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit the Pennsylvania Department of Health from requiring nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to admit COVID-19 patients.

“Tragically, the coronavirus has severely impacted our senior population in Pennsylvania, and that impact is clear from the data surrounding positive cases and deaths associated with nursing homes,” said Heffley. “According to the latest statistics released by the department, 68% of the state’s COVID-19-related deaths have occurred in facilities that provide long-term care to older residents.”
The proposal would require that a patient discharged from a hospital must test negative for COVID-19 prior to admission into a long-term care facility.

“The Department of Health’s currentpractice of forcing COVID-19-positive patients into nursing homes has proven to be disastrous,” Heffley added. “As we all do our part in thefight to ‘flatten the curve,’ it is imperative that the department establish sound guidelines to protect Pennsylvanians residing in personal-care facilities.”

Heffley is currently seeking co-sponsors to his legislation.

Representative Doyle Heffley
122nd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andy Briggs
717-260-6474
abriggs@pahousegop.com
RepHeffley.com/ Facebook.com/RepHeffley