On Friday, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) delivered remarks on healthcare transparency during a press conference.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, and I'd like to welcome each and every one of you who aren't from
00:05our fair city to Blair County and to my hometown of Holidaysburg.
00:12I want to thank everyone for being here and thank Thompson's Pharmacy for their
00:19hospitality. This is not only my hometown, but this is my pharmacy, so it's exciting that we have this here today.
00:28I am so pleased to be joined by Governor Josh Shapiro, Commissioner Mike Humphreys,
00:34Representative Benham, and others to promote the significant achievement that was House Bill 1993.
00:43In the Senate, I worked closely with Senator Christine Tartaglione on Senate Bill 1000,
00:49which is the Senate's version of House Bill 1993. Our offices also worked in consultation with
00:56the key stakeholder groups, bringing critical relief to pharmacies across Pennsylvania.
01:03I'd also like to commend my staff, Nathan Akers, Greg Beckenbaugh, and Matt Deegan, along with
01:08Chris Donahue and Jordan Grant, and other Senate Republican staff for their tremendous work
01:15on pulling together this final product. In many areas of the state, especially rural areas like
01:22here in Blair County and the rest of my legislative district, pharmacies are a vital
01:28part of health care and a health network. These pharmacies are on the front line of health care
01:35and are often the first stop for people looking for care. But these pharmacies are struggling as
01:41more and more continue to close because of the unfair practices of PBMs, or Pharmacy Benefit
01:48Managers. This legislation addresses these issues as well as provides for transparency
01:54and accountability measures to ensure that pharmacies and PBMs are on a fair and level
02:01playing field. At a time when our community pharmacies could not wait any longer, the
02:06General Assembly answered the call and passed meaningful PBM reform that would bring much
02:12needed relief to pharmacies in rural areas and across Pennsylvania. I'm proud of the reforms we
02:19were able to pass in House Bill 1993 and will continue to be a strong advocate for community
02:25pharmacies moving forward. I would also like to recognize Representative Jim Gregory and
02:32Representative Jesse Topper for being here today. And now I'm going to introduce Bill Thompson.
02:40Bill Thompson was really the first person, when I came into the legislature, to talk to me about
02:48the PBMs and how it wasn't a fair playing field. And I could not wrap my brain around this. I said,
02:55you pay for the drugs, but you don't get reimbursed for the full amount. How does anybody
03:01run a business like that? He said, that's the point, Judy. So I'd like to represent Bill Thompson
03:07of Thompson's Pharmacy. Thank you, Judy. And I'd like to say that Judy has been more than
03:22a friend through this whole process. She listened to me when we started this process.
03:29And we've been at it for, I'd say, five to seven years. And she's the only one, other than my
03:35friend Jim Gregory and Lou, and thankful for other PA delegates that have been through our process,
03:45but they listened. And we're finally at a point, and that's why this gentleman's here beside me,
03:51that we're going to finally get something done. And that, I can't thank enough to these people
03:57behind me. Trustee Insurance Commissioner, Representative Jesse, I can't thank you enough.
04:05As a result of bipartisan support, both of our parts of the legislature and Governor Shapiro's
04:11administration, there has now been passed, many thanks to our listening to your community pharmacy
04:17and constituents of Pennsylvania. We still have work to do to ensure the long-term viability of
04:24independent pharmacies in Pennsylvania. We cannot have any more pharmacies, community pharmacies,
04:30closed in the state of PA. There's almost one a day closing right now. One a day. Hard to believe.
04:38But we're proud to be here, and that's the reason why we're here.
04:43The PBMs are one-sided and unilaterally opposed,
04:47am opposed, on both our community pharmacies and our patients. We believe this legislation will
04:53help send the tide of independent pharmacy closings and provide our pharmacy, Pennsylvania
04:59pharmacy patients, and the right to choose their own pharmacy. Community pharmacies do the extra
05:07that our most vulnerable patients need to stay healthy and out of the hospital. Whether it's
05:13compliance packaging, home delivery, or extra time discussing the medication, our community pharmacy
05:20is always there for you. As a result, access to quality health care is very important to our
05:30community, to our patients, and our pharmacies should suffer less harm by this bill being passed today.
05:38I would like now to introduce Representative Jess Benham, and thank you for all your support.
05:50I want to thank Bill and Thompson's Pharmacy for being such wonderful hosts today, and I
05:56especially want to thank Senator Ward for her wonderful bipartisan, bicameral support of this
06:01legislation that cooperation is the reason why we're able to be here to celebrate today.
06:08Our locally owned pharmacies are trusted community institutions. They deserve a level playing field
06:15with the big corporate chains, which is a fact reinforced as I've spent the last nine months
06:20traveling the Commonwealth hearing from pharmacists. In rural areas, small towns,
06:25suburbs, and big cities, every pharmacist told me the same story. Pharmacy benefits managers were
06:32rigging the system in favor of their affiliated big chain pharmacies, while at the same time
06:37raising the costs of prescription medications for patients. As a result, over 140 pharmacies
06:44have closed in Pennsylvania since January 1st alone. The PBMs have been putting our pharmacies
06:50out of business by underpaying them for prescriptions, and when three PBMs control
06:5580% of the market, we're dealing with a monster of a vertically integrated monopoly. But I was
07:03not afraid to take them on, because Pennsylvania is not a haven for corporations that want to make
07:08a quick billion on the backs of patients and our beloved local pharmacies. Our community pharmacies
07:15provide a level of service unmatched by the big chains. They know our names when we walk through
07:21the door, they sponsor our kids' sports teams, they march in our parades, and so much more. That's why
07:29I introduced and championed this legislation, and it's why I've been fighting the predatory PBMs
07:35even before the governor mentioned them in his budget address. It's why I've spent all this time
07:40building consensus with members of both parties in both chambers throughout the Commonwealth,
07:46and it's why I'm grateful our governor was willing to sign it into law.
07:50My bill stands between local pharmacies and certain bankruptcy. I've known pharmacists who've
07:56taken out second mortgages, who've liquidated their retirement accounts, but the theme has still been
08:02the same. One to two years, and they'd close. My legislation gives them much-needed breathing room.
08:10It requires that they're reimbursed the same amount as the PBM-affiliated pharmacies. It gives
08:15the insurance department critical oversight and enforcement tools, and it provides powerful
08:20patient protections so that you can use the pharmacy of your choice, and you aren't forced
08:26to order your prescriptions by mail if you don't want to. Our independent pharmacies step up big
08:31time every day in our communities, and we're repaying them by making this system fair. We're
08:38giving them the ability to continue to serve our neighborhoods. I'm proud we did this in a bipartisan
08:44way, and I'm grateful for Governor Shapiro's support. It is now my honor to introduce Joe
08:50Breton, the owner of Northern Bedford Pharmacy. I had the opportunity to visit his pharmacy earlier
08:55today and cannot speak highly enough of the level of service he is providing to his community.
09:01Now, pharmacies like Thompson's Pharmacy and Northern Bedford Pharmacy, we can't afford to
09:07lose them, and that's why I'm thrilled about this law and why I'm glad I get to introduce Joe.
09:21Thank you. Thank you to Representative Benham, Senator Judy Ward, and all the representatives
09:27and senators that fought for PBM reform, and I'd like to thank Governor Shapiro for signing Act
09:3377 of 2024. I also want to thank Heather Kuntz and all the reporters, journalists, and media
09:40that helped explain the complex PBM abuses and their negative effects, and I lastly like to
09:46thank Bill Thompson's and Thompson's Pharmacy for making today happen. Community pharmacies play a
09:52vital role in our patients' health care team. This is especially so in our rural and medically
09:58underserved areas such as Northern Bedford Pharmacy or Northern Bedford County, excuse me,
10:03where my pharmacy, Northern Bedford Pharmacy, is located. As the most accessible health care
10:08provider, my patients trust my staff and I for medical information and advice. In rural areas,
10:15the lengthy distance to hospitals and other higher level care can serve as a roadblock for some to
10:20seek needed medical care. Many times we are there to urge and reassure patients that they do need
10:26to go see a doctor or go to an ER or urgent care, and it is worth the 15 to 20 mile drive.
10:32We have patients come to us with injuries such as a cut on the face from a line drive
10:37to respiratory infections asking if we have what they need to help them or if they need to
10:43seek further medical care, and as a pharmacist we can be that trusted source of information.
10:50Having convenient access to quality pharmacy care is very important. How many times have any of us
10:56been out running errands and when we get home we realize we forgot one of those errands,
11:00even something as important as picking up a prescription. Imagine if that was you and then
11:05you had to turn around and drive 15 miles back to the pharmacy because I had to close the doors
11:10to my pharmacy due to PBMs. I know many people, myself included, would think do I really need
11:17that medicine today? Keeping pharmacies open in rural areas helps people take their medicines
11:23daily and prevents more serious medical complications. With about 150 pharmacies
11:29closing in Pennsylvania this year alone, what happens if my pharmacy is next? Does that teenager
11:35who took the line drive to the face not seek stitches but rather try to take care of himself,
11:40which does happen, and develop a skin infection? Or does the person who forgot their blood thinner
11:46think I can get it later, missing a day or two of medicine and suffer the heart attack?
11:52Act 77 is a great start, but more work needs to be done to ensure our pharmacy's viability in the
11:58future. Thank you. Now I'd like to introduce Commissioner Mike Humphries.
12:10Thank you Governor for your leadership on this issue, Representatives Benham, Senator Ward,
12:15Representatives Topper and Gregory for getting this bipartisan bill done, and of course Bill
12:23Thompson and Thompson Pharmacy for hosting us today. Before Act 77, PBM regulation meant a $35
12:31fee and a welcome to Pennsylvania. Not anymore. Act 77 gives the Pennsylvania Insurance Department
12:38the tools to regulate PBMs in certain predatory practices. It contains several provisions
12:45aimed at protecting Pennsylvanians and our local and independent pharmacies.
12:50First, the Act prohibits a PBM from paying independent pharmacies less than the amount
12:56that the PBM reimburses its own affiliated pharmacies, and it requires that a PBM pass
13:02through at least 95% of any drug rebate to a health plan. Second, the Act places strict
13:10regulation around patient steering, which is when a PBM requires a patient to buy meds from one of
13:16its affiliated pharmacies. Third, the Act prohibits PBMs and insurers from clawing back
13:24extra money that is higher than the cost of the drug itself. For instance, if you're prescribed
13:29a drug that costs $5 to buy out of pocket, you can't be charged more than that $5 at the pharmacy,
13:37even if your co-pay is $15. Finally, the Act imposes new reporting requirements on PBMs
13:44that allow PID to better track a PBM's actions and sheds light on the movements behind the scenes.
13:52Beginning in 2026, PBMs must submit an annual transparency report that will show us at PID
14:01the amount of all rebates that the PBM received from drug manufacturers and did not pass through
14:07to health insurers, and any difference between what it pays an affiliated pharmacy
14:12and other retail pharmacies. Act 77 gets a lot done for Pennsylvanians and for our pharmacy
14:19partners, and at PID we're excited to move forward with its implementation. So thank you again for
14:25the opportunity to be here, and I will now turn it over to Kathy Kilgore, a longtime pharmacy customer.
14:37Hi everyone. I just want to let you know that Thompson's has been my pharmacy for many, many
14:43years. Actually, Billy was instrumental in diagnosing my illness, and I go to a specialist,
14:51and the specialist retires. The first thing I did is ask Billy, who should I, on this list,
14:58who should I go to? You don't get that at Walgreens or Rite Aid or CVS. You just don't.
15:04They don't. You're a number. You walk in, but these guys, all these guys are great. They know
15:09you when you walk in. You know, have a question about how to take this, the med. They're right
15:15there beside you telling you how to take it, and they're going to make sure you're doing well.
15:20So I can't thank you enough, Billy, and it's my pleasure to introduce Josh Shapiro,
15:29and thank you so much, sir. Thank you. Thank you, Kathy. Thanks, Kathy.
15:37I'm not sure why you need any of us with Kathy here. She summed up just how critically important
15:43these neighborhood independent pharmacies are, and Kathy, I want to say thank you for being here.
15:48Thank you for sharing your story with us, and thank you for sharing the stories of love that
15:54you get when you walk in here to Thompson's. I want to say to Bill, to you and your entire team
16:00here at Thompson's Pharmacy, thanks for hosting us today. Thank you for allowing those who have
16:05not been in this pharmacy to come in and see the wonderful job you do, and the family atmosphere,
16:11and the warm and welcoming atmosphere that you have. And I know the same is true, certainly,
16:17by reputation and based on what Representative Benham said at Joe Breton's Northern Bedford
16:22Pharmacy. It's a similar deal. You want to be able to go into a place where, what was the old
16:27cheer song, where everybody knows your name, right? And where you're able to have a conversation with
16:31your pharmacist, and see your neighbor, and have that level of positive interaction, particularly
16:38in rural communities where these pharmacies are hard to access. So I want to really just say
16:44thanks to Bill and Joe for showing all of us the love they have for what they do, and the community
16:50that they serve. They really, really matter. Our pharmacies really are the linchpins in our
16:55communities, delivering the medications, and the services, and the health care that people need
17:01every single day to live healthy and productive lives here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
17:08Folks being able to live healthy and productive lives took a great step forward thanks to the
17:13leadership shown by Representative Jess Benham and by Senator Judy Ward. These are two outstanding
17:20public servants who came together to get something done here in Pennsylvania, Republican and Democrat
17:27alike. And what you heard in each of their remarks earlier was actually the same message. They showed
17:34up at their pharmacy. They listened to Bill. They listened to the other pharmacists that they met
17:40across the Commonwealth. And then they took what they listened, and they went back to the
17:44halls of power in Harrisburg, and they did something about it. And you know what? That's great public
17:50service. And I think it's incumbent upon all of us. I don't care what your party is, what your view is,
17:54whether you agree on this issue or that issue. We should celebrate that. Public servants listening
18:00to the community, and then coming back to Harrisburg and doing something about it. And so I
18:05really wanted to say how grateful I am to be here with Senator Ward and Representative Benham, and
18:10to thank them for all their work. And Representative Benham, particularly for your work traveling all
18:16across this Commonwealth, well outside your district, and listening to people share their
18:22stories, particularly from the independent pharmacists about how PBMs were negatively
18:28impacting their lives. So I appreciate you, and I think it should be lost on no one here that we
18:34have a bipartisan group standing here talking about something that is really common sense. And
18:41I hope you also take note that they are here representing the nation's only divided legislature.
18:48Think about that for a minute. The Senate led by Republicans, the House led by Democrats, yet we've
18:53been able to come together on a number of historic common sense things, most notably here today,
19:00PBM reform. That, that coming together, that's the Pennsylvania way. And that's the way we get
19:06stuff done. As you heard from Bill, our local independent pharmacies, they're just beloved
19:13in the community. And I can tell you firsthand that that's very real. Since I was a kid, I went
19:19and got the candy I needed, maybe sometimes the greeting card I needed, and certainly the
19:24prescriptions I needed at a place called the Abington Pharmacy. That's in Montgomery County.
19:28And when my family and I aren't at the governor's residence and we're back home in Montgomery
19:32County, we still go there. I was joking before to Joe, he's blessed with five kids. I'm blessed with
19:39four. Lori and I are blessed with four. We sort of went through that circuit of getting amoxicillin
19:44basically every day for one of our kids who had an ear infection. And each day I'd show up at the
19:49Abington Pharmacy, the pharmacist would say, which kid is it now, Josh? And I would tell them which
19:53kid had the ear infection, and they would wish us well and make sure we had what we needed. That's
19:59what an independent neighborhood pharmacy is all about. They make you feel warm and welcome, and
20:03I'm someone who has experienced that firsthand throughout my life. And I'm also committed to
20:09making sure they're able to thrive in communities, rural, urban, and suburban across Pennsylvania.
20:16But for too long, we've had these PBMs, these middlemen between the drug manufacturers and
20:21these pharmacies, like the one here in Hollisburg, who got caught in the middle. And when they were
20:26in the middle, what they did was they manipulated the system, and they profited off the pharmaceutical
20:32system at the expense of Pennsylvanians, at the expense of consumers, and certainly at the expense
20:39of our community pharmacies. Here's what they've done. Over their time operating here in Pennsylvania,
20:45PBMs have driven up prices. They've unilaterally changed the terms of contracts with pharmacies,
20:51and they're left really defenseless to that. And they've been picking and choosing who gets to win
20:58and who is going to lose. While the middlemen got rich all these years, independent pharmacies were
21:04the losers, and consumers were too. Think about this. Since January 1st of this year, 70 independent
21:11pharmacies have closed their doors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This has most
21:16notably hurt rural communities across our commonwealth, and it makes it harder for
21:21Pennsylvanians to get access to the medications that they need. 21 out of Pennsylvania's 67 counties
21:30have fewer than 10 pharmacies. And these large rural counties, that means longer road trips to
21:36get what you need, perhaps longer ride shares to get what you need, and oftentimes it shuts people
21:41out from getting the medication that they need on time. Local independent pharmacies keep getting
21:47forced out of the marketplace because of the greed and the conduct of these PBMs. And the good people
21:53of Pennsylvania keep getting screwed with higher costs and reduced access to the medications that
21:59they need. And during all of that, PBMs, they got richer and they made record profits. Well,
22:08we don't want to stand for that any longer. And so my administration and lawmakers from both parties
22:13came together to do something about it. I called for reform back during my budget address in
22:19February, and Republicans and Democrats alike, representatives and senators, stepped up and
22:24answered that call. This bill that I'm about to sign includes landmark reforms sponsored by
22:30Representative Benham to stop these PBMs from screwing over Pennsylvanians. Now, apparently,
22:37you can't just write in a bill, hey, PBM, stop screwing over Pennsylvanians. You actually have
22:41to have a lot more words to it. And the words in this bill demonstrate a real commitment to reform
22:48and will bring about real change here in Pennsylvania. First, PBMs have been harming
22:54Pennsylvanians by dictating which pharmacy you could get your medicine from. This was called
23:00steering, where PBMs would steer customers to different pharmacies. Oftentimes, it was favoring
23:07the chains that actually own the PBM. So rather than getting your medication at a local independent
23:13pharmacy like Thompson's, you'd have to travel further from home and do it on their terms
23:18instead of yours. This new law puts a stop to steering in Pennsylvania. Second, PBMs,
23:26as you heard before, they have been artificially inflating the cost of a medication. So a drug
23:32that costs five bucks, because the PBM would set the price, not Thompson, the PBM, they'd set a
23:38price at, say, 20 bucks, and they'd pocket the $15 in profit. No longer will that be the case.
23:45This bill puts a stop to that predatory practice as well. Third, you heard from our great insurance
23:51commissioner, Commissioner Humphreys, that we now have given him the tools as the person who
23:57oversees insurance in Pennsylvania to hold these PBMs accountable. You heard before,
24:03they'd pay a $35 fee, and they'd basically get to do whatever they wanted in the Commonwealth.
24:07No longer is that the case. In addition to having the power to hold them accountable and stop them
24:13from screwing over Pennsylvanians, we now have greater transparency, greater data sharing,
24:18so that if they get out of line going forward, the commissioner can hold them accountable or come
24:23back to great leaders like Senator Ward and Representative Benham and call on them to bring
24:29about amendments to this new law if necessary. That transparency is really, really critical.
24:36Listen, I'm proud to stand here in Blair County today and tell you that these reforms that I'm
24:41about to sign into law, the industry hates these reforms, which means we all did something right
24:47here. That's something that we should celebrate. After I announced my call for PBM reform in
24:54February, a bunch of these CEOs from the PBMs came to visit me, and they made their case.
25:01They tried to explain why their practice of screwing over Pennsylvanians is something that
25:05we should allow stand. As you can imagine, I did not receive that information well, and I sent them
25:11out of my office. And these lawmakers worked hard to build a coalition to pass meaningful reform,
25:17and today we're here in Blair County to sign that. The people over the powerful. The people won,
25:24and the people deserve to be heard, and they were. Here in Pennsylvania, we have shown routinely
25:31that we can come together and we can get stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania. We've
25:36also shown that we can actually solve problems like this PBM problem that has existed for a
25:41long time. Democrats and Republicans have been coming together in Pennsylvania to solve other
25:46problems too. On higher education, Representative Topper is here, one of the leaders in the Republican
25:52Caucus in the House, who joined me and others in saying we could no longer disinvest from higher ed,
25:58but we also needed to make real reforms in higher ed. And so for the first time in 30 years, we
26:04passed meaningful reform when it comes to higher ed. That's a big deal. For more than half a century
26:10in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police were getting their funding out of the same line
26:15item that funded our roads and bridges in Pennsylvania. I don't know who thought that
26:19was a good idea way back when, that public safety would have to compete with public infrastructure.
26:24Folks talked about this for decades, decoupling that. And you know what? Democrats and Republicans
26:29came together last year and we did decouple that. And now we're investing an historic amount in our
26:34Pennsylvania State Police and more money than ever before in our infrastructure, particularly
26:39rural infrastructure in Pennsylvania. We solved that problem too. When a court in Pennsylvania
26:45said that our K-12 funding system for education was unconstitutional, both because we weren't
26:51providing enough resources to our schools and because we weren't driving those dollars out to
26:56the schools that needed it most, Democrats and Republicans came together in this budget and not
27:01only passed an historic amount of funding for our schools, but we actually put a new formula in place
27:06so the dollars would go to the kids who need it most. Solving problems, coming together. I remember
27:12hearing from a public defender in a rural community here in Pennsylvania who said we were one of only
27:17two states in the entire nation that wasn't funding public defenders, which was negatively
27:23impacting our criminal justice system. Democrats, Republicans came together and now we lost that
27:28distinction of not funding our public defenders. We do that work now. Why do I share that with you?
27:35Because in these times of heightened polarization, where it's hard to have a conversation, heck,
27:39it's even hard to have a conversation at family dinner tables sometimes. Here in Pennsylvania,
27:44you should be proud of your lawmakers for putting aside differences on issues where we can't find
27:49common ground and instead working on the areas that Pennsylvanians care about most and finding
27:55common ground and solving problems and putting Pennsylvanians first. This PBM law is important
28:02because of what it means for independent pharmacies, reducing drug prices across Pennsylvania,
28:07but it's also important because I think it shows the power of people coming together,
28:12finding common ground, and doing common sense things, and that is something all of us should
28:17be proud of. I know I am, and I'm grateful to Senator Ward, Representative Benham, and all of
28:22the elected leaders who made it possible. So thank you for having me here at Thompson's. I'm going to
28:27sign this now and then we'll come back and we'll be happy to take some questions. Thank you all
28:31very, very much.
29:02People are standing out there.
29:14Ready? All right, here we go.
29:19Yep, that's for you. Senator, that's for you. Thank you very much.
29:49All right, Senator Ward is going to answer all your questions.
30:02Now, I have never been in a press conference where a reporter got name-checked by one of the speakers,
30:07so clearly you're the local person who knows what they're talking about. I'm going to give you
30:12the first question if you have one. I do have one, actually. One of the things when you read
30:16through the bill, a lot of it talks about studies for the future and what's going to happen,
30:22you know, after they can gather the information, but we've lost 142 pharmacies already.
30:27What's being implemented in the here and now to make sure that we don't lose another 140
30:32before this sort of really gets its legs? Let me offer some brief remarks. I'll ask the
30:36Commissioner to jump in as well. Obviously, knowing that this law was coming about now,
30:41having it in law should hopefully give peace of mind to an independent pharmacy that's
30:46struggling and holding on, really, for the reasons Senator Ward talked about before.
30:51Just the whole dynamic of how the pricing was working was working against independents like
30:56Thompson. Knowing that that's changing, knowing that they can no longer have business steered
31:01away from them, knowing that they're going to now have power in this conversation and have a place
31:07to go to in the Insurance Commissioner's office to be able to log a complaint that he can do
31:11something about it, hopefully that's going to give peace of mind to reverse this trend.
31:16We also, I think, are in a position, thanks to this budget we passed with some historic
31:21investments in economic development, to be able to make investments in main streets like this
31:26and the businesses that line it, pharmacies and otherwise, to be able to strengthen our small
31:31businesses and our communities, especially our rural communities. Small businesses are the
31:35lifeblood and really the engine of communities like Holidaysburg and others, and we are prepared
31:41to make more investments there thanks to the bipartisan budget that we're able to pass.
31:45Commissioner, you want to add anything on that?
31:47Just to the Governor's point, the effective date on the reporting piece was 2026 because
31:53you need an opportunity for the provisions to take effect. So over the next several months,
31:58you'll see the clawback provisions, the steering provisions, the specialty drug list
32:02with the complaint process for independent pharmacies and other pharmacies will all be
32:06taking place over the next couple of months. So you'll see these contracts changing with the
32:12local and independent pharmacies with the reporting a year later so that we can see
32:17the effect of the act itself. Let me just add one other thing. When we've been able to give
32:22the Insurance Commissioner greater power, industry has very quickly caved from their
32:28predatory practices. When I took office, I challenged the Insurance Commissioner to be
32:33very aggressive about something called mental health parity to make sure that our mental
32:38health care system, which by law should have parity with our physical health care system,
32:44that plans that came forth to his office would have actual parity in them, otherwise they would
32:50not receive approval. Even before the effective date of that came up, insurance companies were
32:57already running into the insurance department under Commissioner Humphrey's leadership and
33:02changing their practices and making sure that mental health parity was something that they
33:07were adopting quickly. Why do I share that with you? Because when lawmakers stand together,
33:12when laws are signed, when we send a clear message about what we're willing to tolerate
33:16and what we're not, in this case we're not willing to tolerate the predatory practices of PBMs,
33:21practices change and the people who will benefit from that are everyday Pennsylvanians because
33:26their drug prices will go down and of course independent pharmacies like this.
33:31Anything else from the media? Yeah. Can it be on another topic? Let's see if there's anything else
33:36on this. Anything else on this? I was afraid there wasn't. And I'm not going to be offended
33:43if Senator Ward walks away for this one. Go ahead. The first one is one that you've obviously gotten
33:50a lot. Have you spoken with Vice President Harris since Sunday and have you been reached out by her
33:56team in regards to any vetting materials? On Sunday I was really honored to receive a call
34:01from President Biden just a few moments after he made the announcement that he was dropping out of
34:07the race and endorsing the Vice President. The Vice President called me just a few moments
34:11after that. I quickly offered her my endorsement. We spoke only about that and we have not spoken
34:17since. Can you say we know that tomorrow you're going to be holding an event in Carlisle for her
34:22as well as on Monday with Governor Whitmer from Michigan? You know my schedule better than I do.
34:31Can you tell us anything more about what these events will entail? I can't but I can just not
34:36because I'm unwilling to but because I just don't know the details of the events other than I'm
34:41going to stand up and speak very forcefully in support of Vice President Harris and talk about
34:46the clear contrast in this race between she and Donald Trump. Anything else? Yeah. Of course this
34:55measure that you took with this bill is helping to protect access to health care and prescriptions
35:00in our local pharmacies. What steps are next as far as protecting women's health care within our
35:06local pharmacies? Women I something went off. Access to women's health care things like birth
35:12control, mifepristone. Absolutely. Look I've always been a champion of women's reproductive
35:17health care and freedom for women all across Pennsylvania. So long as I'm governor women will
35:22have access to mifepristone. They'll have access to abortions here in Pennsylvania. They will have
35:26access to any health care that they and their doctor choose free from political interference.
35:32That is a commitment I've long made to the good people of Pennsylvania. I've long honored whether
35:37it was as attorney general going to court to defend women's rights. We're making sure that
35:42our pharmacies and our doctors are able to practice medicine and health care free of
35:46political interference. So long as I'm governor that's going to continue. Okay. Thank you all very.
35:53Can you tell us a little bit about your weekend of action for Kamala Harris for president and what
35:58areas you're targeting across Pennsylvania? You know here at Thompson's we love to talk about
36:03everything in the community but I think we don't love talking about politics there. Right Phil?
36:08Out of respect for the question I mean look I have a very clear view on this election and I think this
36:14election poses a stark choice between the vice president and between Donald Trump. It's no secret
36:20where I stand on this and I'm going to do everything in my power to prosecute the case as
36:24to why Kamala Harris is a better candidate. Why we don't want to go back to the chaos of Donald
36:29Trump and I'll be doing that in these rallies this weekend. Thank you. Can you talk to just how
36:35the polls are getting that much closer between her and former president Trump especially? I think
36:41when it comes to polls you should interview a pundit. I'm a governor for all Pennsylvanians.
36:45I'm going to focus on doing that job and others can offer the punditry. Thanks everybody. Appreciate it.
36:59you