In Review: Two hearings were initially set for the week of March 4. The House Labor and Commerce Committee had initially planned a hearing on HB 226 (Omnibus) but removed it from the agenda after discussions with the chairman due to the pharmacy association having already presented at two previous hearings the week before. Due to the efforts of PCMA and individuals on the ground, HB 226 was taken off the House Labor Committee agenda. In addition, the Senate Health Care Committee conducted a follow-up hearing on SB 121 without public testimony. Steve Ramos, Acting Chief Health Administrator at the Division of Retirement Benefits, effectively highlighted issues in the bill. PCMA provided written testimony to address inaccuracies from prior hearings and to align with other opposing organizations. The focus of the hearing was on the adverse effects of dispensing fees and the inclusion of state plans, highlighting the ongoing educational process for legislators to understand the complexities of the bills.

Up Next: The Senate Health Care Committee will be having an additional meeting on SB 121 on March 11. The Pacific Health Coalition, a labor-management employee benefit organization, has been invited for a 45-minute testimony to provide balance to the previous week’s testimony.

If you have any questions, please contact Bill Head at bhead@pcmanet.org.