HR 3 — A Resolution designating the month of March 2025 as "Endometriosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   34

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 3
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY HOWARD, DALEY, KHAN, SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN, GIRAL,
        NEILSON, HILL-EVANS, HADDOCK, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SHUSTERMAN,
        CONKLIN, MALAGARI, FREEMAN AND REICHARD, JANUARY 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JANUARY 10, 2025


                                 A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating the month of March 2025 as "Endometriosis Awareness
 2      Month" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, Endometriosis is thought to afflict 10% of the
 4   female population, indicating hundreds of millions of sufferers
 5   globally; and
 6      WHEREAS, Endometriosis is thought to be the cause of 85% of
 7   cases of pelvic pain, as well as a host of other symptoms among
 8   women; and
 9      WHEREAS, These symptoms can easily cause long-term disability
10   and prevent sufferers from leading the lives that they wish for
11   themselves; and
12      WHEREAS, Endometriosis is a leading cause of infertility; and
13      WHEREAS, Despite its extreme commonality, endometriosis is
14   comparatively unknown by the general populace and even medical
15   personnel; and
16      WHEREAS, This lack of awareness has enabled an extreme and
17   unacceptable 10 years as the average wait time for diagnosis in
 1   American women; and
 2      WHEREAS, This disabling, common and distressing condition has
 3   been significantly under-researched and underfunded; and
 4      WHEREAS, The lack of research and funding creates a dearth of
 5   effective treatment options to patients in need of care; and
 6      WHEREAS, Awareness of endometriosis must be heightened to
 7   encourage research, inform clinicians of best practices in
 8   detection and treatment and generally alter this present status
 9   quo; and
10      WHEREAS, Evidence suggests that the current best treatment
11   for severe endometriosis, excision surgery, is unfairly
12   reimbursed under the same medical billing code as the still
13   under-reimbursed, but less labor-intensive, fulguration surgery;
14   therefore be it
15      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
16   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designate the month of March 2025
17   as "Endometriosis Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it
18   further
19      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
20   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acknowledge the need to educate the
21   public and medical professionals about this condition and the
22   symptoms that warrant it being considered as a possible
23   diagnosis; and be it further
24      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
25   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
26   States to request funding for the detection and treatment of
27   endometriosis through the Congressionally Directed Medical
28   Research Programs and any other avenues for designated medical
29   research funding that Congress finds prudent; and be it further
30      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the

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 1   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
 2   States to continue funding the research each year; and be it
 3   further
 4      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
 5   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
 6   States to order a review of Healthcare Common Procedure Coding
 7   System codes to ensure that all endometriosis-related surgical
 8   treatments are sufficiently reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid;
 9   and be it further
10      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
11   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
12   States to create an annual "National Endometriosis Awareness
13   Month" and to request that Federal agencies make efforts to
14   inform the national public and medical practitioners; and be it
15   further
16      RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
17   the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
18   each house of Congress, each member of Congress from
19   Pennsylvania and the President of the American Medical
20   Association.




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