Photo submitted to the Times Observer Rep. Kathy Rapp was sworn in to begin her eighth term as state representative of the 65th Legislative District on Jan 1. She has also once again been named chairman of the House Health Committee.

As the new year kicks off, State Representative Kathy Rapp is taking steps to tackle issues related to tick-borne illnesses.

Rapp announced Thursday that she is reintroducing legislation that would require health insurers to cover treatment plans for Lyme disease or related tick-borne illnesses as prescribed by a patient’s health care practitioner.

Rapp is serving in her first full term as the state House Health Committee Chairman.

“It is no secret that Pennsylvania has ranked highest in the nation for the number of confirmed cases of Lyme disease for more than six years now,” said Rapp. “In 2016, Pennsylvania reported 12,200 cases of Lyme disease, which translates to 122,000 new cases and accounts for 40 percent of the nation’s cases alone.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted primarily by ticks and is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases pose a serious threat to the quality of life of many Pennsylvanians, with the frequency of diagnosed and reported Lyme disease cases increasing dramatically over the past several years.

In Fiscal Year 2018, the Center for Disease Control distributed approximately $152,146 to the state of Pennsylvania to fight against tick-borne diseases. A similar amount was also awarded to for Fiscal Year 2017.

“While the CDC funding is significant, we especially need to do a better job at the state level to ensure that every patient diagnosed with Lyme disease and other related tick-borne diseases has access and insurance coverage for available and emerging diagnostics and treatment options,” said Rapp. “The legislation I am re-introducing would be a major win for those coping with this epidemic and I look forward to advancing this legislation to the full House for consideration in the very near future.”

Originally introduced during the 2017-18 legislative session, House Bill 174, was unanimously adopted by the House Health Committee, and was later advanced to the Senate by a margin of 188-6 in the House.

The House Health Committee deals with issues such as abortion, disease management, health savings accounts, hospital-acquired infections, Medical Assistance, patient safety, pharmaceutical issues, telemedicine, welfare reform and more.