State House Committee Moves To Secure Vaccine Access Amid Federal Shakeup

By Ian Karbal | Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee passed a measure Tuesday to protect vaccine access, regardless of the actions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which has recently hired a number of vaccine skeptics to lead its immunization recommendation panel.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-Allegheny), would require insurance companies in Pennsylvania to cover the full cost of any vaccinations that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by medical professional societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

It passed on party lines, with 14 Democrats in favor and 12 Republicans opposed.

"For millions of Pennsylvanians who choose to receive vaccines, they have come to depend on insurance coverage without cost sharing," Venkat said. "House Bill 1828 is absolutely necessary to meet that expectation."

The proposal also maintains Pennsylvania's religious exemptions.

Historically, insurance companies that operate within the commonwealth have been required to cover vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). But with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointing a number of vaccine skeptics to the committee, Pennsylvania officials and lawmakers have taken steps to bypass their advice.

In its most recent move, the panel changed its recommendation for the COVID-19 vaccine, so that people should consult a doctor before getting one, as opposed to simply visiting a pharmacy for the shot. That follows an action last month to adopt a slightly more restrictive recommendation for the vaccination, advising its use in people 65 and older, children over six months old with health conditions, and other "high risk" individuals.

So far, the change has not led to insurance companies widely dropping coverage for the vaccines, but many of them are required by state laws to follow ACIP's guidance. It's unclear what the more ambiguous recommendation allows.

Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said, "Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people's trust in public health agencies. ACIP remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic."

Venkat's bill is just the latest effort in the commonwealth to ensure vaccine access amid shakeups at the Centers for Disease Control and HHS.

It follows a push from Gov. Josh Shapiro and his administration to ensure vaccine access in Pennsylvania, regardless of the federal agency's recommendations.

Last week, Shapiro signed an executive order telling state agencies to ensure Pennsylvanians can have access to free vaccinations, regardless of ACIP's guidelines.

The order directed the state Department of Health to do what it can to protect children' s vaccine access, the state Insurance Department to ensure insurers cover vaccinations and the commonwealth's Department of Aging to ensure vaccine availability for the elderly. It will also create an online information portal and establish a Vaccine Education Workgroup to combat misinformation.

Shapiro has also signed Pennsylvania up to the Northeast Public Health Collaboration, a public health body formed in the wake of shakeups in the U.S. Health Department. The collaboration will create its own vaccine recommendations and prepare for potential health emergencies.

And last month, the state Board of Pharmacy, at Shapiro's recommendation, voted to follow vaccination guidelines from leading medical groups instead of the CDC's immunization panel. The move was intended to allow pharmacists to continue providing vaccines to patients, despite the mixed signals from the U.S. Health Department on whether or not they would ultimately recommend the COVID-19 and other vaccines.

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