House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	January 10, 2019 08:46 AM
From:	Representative Maria P. Donatucci
To:	All House members
Subject:	Insurance Coverage for Immunizations Administered by Pharmacists

In 2002, the General Assembly amended the Pharmacy Act to allow pharmacists to administer medications, biologicals and immunizations. This change provides both convenience and accessibility to consumers, as pharmacists can play an important role in disease prevention by administering vaccines for infections like influenza, pneumococcal disease and hepatitis B. Indeed, researchers estimate that including pharmacies as locations to dispense vaccinations during flu epidemics would avert millions of flu cases, prevent thousands of deaths and save billions of dollars in productivity losses and medical costs. Despite this, these vaccinations can be more costly to the consumer because, under current Pennsylvania law, insurers are not required to cover pharmacist-administered immunizations. It is for these reasons that I am introducing legislation to require all insurers to cover immunizations administered at a pharmacy by a pharmacist. By extending insurance coverage for vaccinations to include pharmacies, we can guarantee continued convenience and accessibility to consumers, while ensuring a cost-effective option. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
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Introduced as HB164