From the Pennsylvania Lyme Resource Network:

The Pennsylvania House of representatives passed HB 629 today by a vote of 158 to 34.

The bill provides for patient access to diagnostics and treatments for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses.  It also requires health care policies to provide certain coverage including long-term antibiotics and anti-microbials.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. will now be in position to vote on it.

The Banking and Insurance Committee Chair is Senator Mario Scavello. Senator Scavello is also a co-sponsor on the Senate’s version of the bill, SB 100.

Upon passage of HB 629, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Kathy Rapp read a statement on the House floor.

She recognized two families who had been there waiting all day for the vote. They were the parents of Kevin Furey and Pete Smith. These two young men both died from Lyme disease.

Kevin battled the illness for more than 10 years before he succumbed. Pete passed away within weeks of his diagnosis. Both sets of parents say they want to help make sure that other families don’t have to go through what they went through.