One-time breast cancer training for clinicians

Summary#

HB 2850, titled Marnie’s Law, would create a new Pennsylvania law; it does not amend an existing Act. Its goal is to require one-time inflammatory breast cancer training for certain medical professionals as part of licensure or renewal. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Professional Licensure Committee; it is not law, and whether it will pass is uncertain.

  • The State Board of Medicine, State Board of Nursing, and State Board of Osteopathic Medicine must require covered applicants to provide proof of completing the training when applying for a licence or certification, or for renewal.
  • The requirement applies to certified registered nurse practitioners, midwives, physicians, and physician assistants.
  • Each person must complete the training only once. For people already licensed, the bill refers to completing it at the first renewal after the law takes effect.
  • The course must cover risk factors, symptoms, why the cancer is often misdiagnosed, risks of delayed diagnosis, and treatments. It must provide an electronic certificate and be free to participants.
  • The licensing boards must approve courses meeting the bill’s requirements. They may set additional requirements and may adopt regulations to carry out the law.

What it means for you#

  • Covered medical professionals: You would have to submit documentation of the training once, with an initial licence or certification application or a renewal application. The bill does not require repeat training after that.
  • Licensing boards: The three boards would have to administer the requirement and approve qualifying courses. The bill does not create a new agency.
  • Patients and the general public: The bill does not directly change access to care, treatment rights, or medical services.

Money#

The course must be free to participants, but the bill gives no cost estimate or funding source.

  • It does not say who would create or provide the course, or who would pay for it.
  • No publicly available information.

What is unclear#

  • The bill does not set a process or deadline for boards to approve courses, beyond requiring approval of courses that meet its conditions.
  • It leaves “documentation acceptable to the licensing board” open to the boards and allows them to set other course requirements.
  • It does not say who will provide the course or how the boards’ work will be funded.
  • It does not spell out what happens if an applicant fails to provide the documentation.
  • The supplied material does not include the existing laws governing these licences, so current training requirements and how they may overlap could not be verified.

Case for#

  • A possible argument for the bill is that the named professionals would receive information about symptoms, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.
  • Requiring the training only once could give professionals that information without requiring it at every renewal.
  • Requiring the course to be free to participants avoids a direct course fee for professionals.

Case against#

  • One concern is that the bill requires the boards to administer the rule but does not identify who will create and pay for the free course.
  • The boards can set additional requirements, but the bill does not describe limits or a common approval process. Requirements could therefore vary among boards.
  • The bill does not explain how missing training documentation would affect a licence or renewal.
  • The bill requires training but does not establish that it will change diagnosis or treatment outcomes.