Governor Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly reached agreement on a $50.8 billion state budget nearly two weeks after the June 30 deadline. The final spending plan represents an increase of approximately $1.8 billion, or 3.7%, over the prior fiscal year.
For the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society, the budget process was relatively quiet. Legislation enacted along with the state budget did not include significant changes affecting orthopedic practices, physician ownership of facilities, radiologic technologist licensing, or scope of practice. One budgetary element of interest to PAOrtho and the broader physician community, however, is the transfer of money from the Pennsylvania Professional Liability Joint Underwriting Association to the state’s General Fund.