An Act providing for patient access to diagnostics and treatments for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses; and requiring health care policies to provide certain coverage.

SB 461 requires health insurance policies in Pennsylvania to cover specific diagnostic tests and treatments for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses. It directly affects all Pennsylvanians with health insurance, particularly those in the state’s high-risk areas (all 67 counties, per the bill’s findings). The key provision mandates insurers cover clinically appropriate diagnostics and antibiotics, including longer-term treatments that some patients require. The bill aims to improve access to care by eliminating coverage barriers, as Pennsylvania has the highest Lyme disease incidence in the U.S. (over 100,000 cases reported in 2018 alone). This is intended to reduce chronic cases and overall disease burden, aligning with the state’s legislative purpose to promote prevention and treatment access.