Pennsylvania adopts provision to help restore pharmacy access | News

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Pennsylvania’s 2026-27 budget package signed Sunday by Gov. Josh Shapiro includes an amended fiscal code that opens the door for patients to return to their local pharmacy of choice.

A provision that protects pharmacies from arbitrary health plan network terminations was shaped by grassroots support for Martella’s Pharmacy over the past year, said legislators who negotiated the provision into the fiscal code.

kAm%96 AC@G:D:@? :?4@CA@C2E6D 2 AC@A@D2= 7C@> DE2E6 #6A] uC2?< qFC?D[ s\t2DE %2J=@C %@H?D9:A[ H9:49 H2D 7FCE96C D92A65 3J DE2E6 D6?2E@CD :?4=F5:?8 $6?2E6 |2;@C:EJ (9:A (2J?6 {2?86C9@=4[ #\#:49=2?5 %@H?D9:A]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@G:D:@? D6ED 4C:E6C:2 3J H9:49 A92C>24J 36?67:E >2?286CD[ @C !q|D[ 42? E6C>:?2E6 4@?EC24ED H:E9 A92C>24:6D[ C6>@G:?8 E96 23:=:EJ 7@C !q|D E@ E6C>:?2E6 4@?EC24ED H:E9 A92C>24:6D E92E 2C6 😕 8@@5 DE2?5:?8 H:E9 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= =2H]k^Am

kAm{2DE J62C[ |2CE6==2’D H2D E6C>:?2E65 2D 2? :?\?6EH@C< A92C>24J 49@:46 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 w:89>2C< 2?5 &!|r :?DFC2?46 4@G6C286[ :?4=F5:?8 A2E:6?ED H:E9 |65:42:5 4@G6C286 E9C@F89 E9@D6 :?DFC6CD]k^Am

kAm%92E E6C>:?2E:@? 42>6 2D 2 F?:=2E6C2= 564:D:@? 7C@> A92C>24J 36?67:E >2?286C tIAC6DD $4C:AED x?4]k^Am

kAm%@ =68:D=2E@CD 2?5 A92C>24J 25G@42E6D[ tIAC6DD $4C:AED’ 4@?EC24E E6C>:?2E:@? H:E9 |2CE6==2’D F?56CD4@C65 E96 >@?@A@=:K:?8 A@H6C E92E !q|D 42? H:6=5]k^Am

kAm~G6C E96 564256D D:?46 !q|D H6C6 6DE23=:D965 E@ 92?5=6 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @7 4=2:>D 7@C :?DFC6CD[ 4@>A6E:E:@? 😕 E96 !q| >2C<6E C6DF=E65 😕 >6C86CD 2>@?8 !q|D 2?5 5CF8 4@>A2?:6D[ A92C>24J 492:?D 2?5 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56CD]k^Am

kAm%96 E9C66 =2C86DE !q|D – r’$ r2C6>2C<[ tIAC6DD $4C:AED[ 2?5 ~AEF>#I – 9@=5 ?62C=J g_T @7 E96 AC6D4C:AE:@? 36?67:ED >2C<6E 😕 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am

kAmtIAC6DD $4C:AED 😀 2 DF3D:5:2CJ @7 r:8?2 vC@FA H:E9 :ED @H? 492:? @7 >2:=\@C56C A92C>24:6D] xED @H? 277:=:2E65 A92C>24:6D 92G6 366? 2>@?8 E96 2=E6C?2E6 49@:46D tIAC6DD $4C:AED 92D >256 2G2:=23=6 E@ 4FDE@>6CD D:?46 :E AF==65 |2CE6==2’D 7C@> :ED ?6EH@C<]k^Am

kAmtIAC6DD $4C:AED 92D 5676?565 :ED E6C>:?2E:@? @7 |2CE6==2’D 4@?EC24E H:E9 2 4=2:> E92E |2CE6==2’D 5:5 ?@E C6A@CE A2DE 5:D4:A=:?2CJ 24E:@?D E@ E96 !q| H:E9:? E96 E:>67C2>6 DE:AF=2E65 😕 :ED 4@?EC24E]k^Am

kAmtIAC6DD $4C:AED’ 564:D:@? 42>6 6G6? 2D E9@D6 5:D4:A=:?2CJ 24E:@?D[ H9:49 @44FCC65 J62CD 28@[ 92G6 366? C6>65:65] |2CE6==2’D 😀 😕 8@@5 DE2?5:?8 H:E9 E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2 q@2C5 @7 !92C>24J[ E96 &]$] sCF8 t?7@C46>6?E p86?4J 2?5 E96 DE2E6’D |65:42:5 AC@8C2>]k^Am

kAm|2CE6==2’D 4@?EC24E E6C>:?2E:@? 7@==@H65 4=@DFC6D @7 ?:?6 |2:?=:?6 !92C>24J =@42E:@?D 24C@DD E96 r2>3C:2\$@>6CD6E C68:@? 2?5 @7 (6DE>@?E #6I2== sCF8 $E@C6 😕 {@H6C *@56C %@H?D9:A] %9@D6 A92C>24:6D H6C6 2>@?8 9F?5C65D @7 @E96CD 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 E92E DECF88=65 7@C J62CD H:E9 AC:46 4@?EC@=D D6E 3J !q|D]k^Am

kAmpD >:55=6>6? 😕 E96 A92C>24J :?5FDECJ DFAA=J 492:?[ !q|D D6E 4@DE C6:>3FCD6>6?ED E@ A92C>24:6D 2?5 4@?EC@= A92C>24J ?6EH@C

kAm“uC@> E96 368:??:?8[ E9:D 677@CE 92D ?6G6C 366? 23@FE @?6 A92C>24J[” E96 |2CE6==2 72>:=J D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “xE 92D 2=H2JD 366? 23@FE 6?DFC:?8 E92E |65:42:5 A2E:6?ED – @FC ?6:893@CD[ D6?:@CD[ :?5:G:5F2=D H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D[ 42C68:G6CD[ 2?5 72>:=:6D – 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ C646:G6 42C6 7C@> E96 A92C>24J E96J @H 2?5 ECFDE]”k^Am

kAm%96 AC@G:D:@? 😕 E96 7:D42= 4@56 2==@HD A92C>24:6D H9@D6 4@?EC24ED 92G6 366? E6C>:?2E65 E@ C62AA=J 7@C :?4=FD:@? 😕 2 !q|’D 962=E9 A=2? ?6EH@C< `a >@?E9D 27E6C E96 52E6 @7 E96 E6C>:?2E:@?]k^Am

kAm%96 6I24E 52E6 @7 |2CE6==2’D C62AA=:42E:@? 4@F=5 36 pF8] `d[ 244@C5:?8 E@ qFC?D]k^Am

kAm|2CE6==2’D 😀 😕 8@@5 DE2?5:?8 H:E9 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= =2H[ 2?5 tIAC6DD $4C:AED H@F=5 92G6 ?@ ;FDE:7:42E:@? ?@E E@ =6E E96 A92C>24J 😕 :ED ?6EH@C< 27E6C |2CE6==2’D C62AA=:6D 7@C :?4=FD:@?[ qFC?D D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 😀 2 >2;@C H:? 7@C r2>3C:2 r@F?EJ[” qFC?D D2:5] “(6 925 E@ AFD9 E@ 86E E9:D 😕 E96C6 WE96 7:D42= 4@56X] xE’D EC6>6?5@FD]”k^Am

kAmr2==D 2?5 6>2:=D E@ r:8?2 2?5 tIAC6DD $4C:AED C682C5:?8 E96 2>6?565 7:D42= 4@56 H6C6 ?@E C6EFC?65 %F6D52J]k^Am

kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ y24<:6 |2CE6==2[ @H?6C @7 E96 72>:=J\ @H?65 A92C>24J 492:? H:E9 =@42E:@?D 😕 r2>3C:2[ $@>6CD6E 2?5 (6DE>@C6=2?5 4@F?E:6D[ D2:5 E96C6’D >@C6 H@C< E@ 36 5@?6]k^Am

kAm“(6 2C6 6?4@FC2865 3J E96 =68:D=2E:G6 DFAA@CE 2?5 AFD9 E@ 92G6 E9:D :?4=F565 😕 E96 7:D42= 4@56[ 3FE H6 C62==J H2?E E@ D2G6 E96 46=63C2E:@? F?E:= H6 2C6 7:==:?8 AC6D4C:AE:@?D 2?5 D66:?8 A2E:6?ED 324< H9@ 92G6 366? EFC?65 2H2J[” D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm{68:D=2E@CD H@C<65 @? E96 !q| 4@?EC24E :DDF6 7@C 23@FE 2 J62C[ FC865 3J =6EE6CD 2?5 A9@?6 42==D 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@D6 2446DD E@ |2CE6==2’D 925 366? 5:DCFAE65]k^Am

kAm“%96 E9@FD2?5D @7 A6@A=6 H9@ ;6==65 E@86E96C 2C@F?5 E9:D 3FD:?6DD 😀 H92E 8@E :E 5@?6[” qFC?D D2:5]k^Am

kAm{2?86C9@=4[ E96 $6?2E6 >2;@C:EJ H9:A 2?5 2? 2EE@C?6J[ ?68@E:2E65 E96 AC@G:D:@? @G6C E96 7:?:D9 =:?6 7@C :?4=FD:@? 😕 E96 7:D42= 4@56 2=@?8 H:E9 $6?2E6 |2;@C:EJ {6256C y@6 !:EE>2?[ #\x?5:2?2] $E2E6 $6?D] !2E $E672?@[ #\u2J6EE6[ 2?5 yF5J (2C5[ #\q=2:C[ H6C6 2=D@ :?DECF>6?E2=[ {2?86C9@=4 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“x7 J@F 2C6 2 AC@G:56C =:<6 |2CE6==2’D 😕 8@@5 DE2?5:?8[ E96? E96D6 !q|D 42?’E 56?J J@F 7@C 2446DD E@ ?6EH@C

kAm“xE’D 8@@5 E@ 86E :E 7:?2==J 5@?6] }@H H6 92G6 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96 AC@46DD 8@6D D>@@E9=J] xE’D 8@@5 E@ C6DE@C6 E9:D =@42= 2446DD E@ A92C>24:6D] (6’G6 962C5 7C@> D@ >2?J :?5:G:5F2=D 27764E65 3J E92E] xE’D 8@@5 E@ 86E D@>6E9:?8 :?E@ =2H E92E H:== 96=A @FC =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 x 2> AC@F5 @7 :E]”k^Am

Russ O’Reilly is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @RussellOReilly.