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Harrisburg, Pa. \u2212 April 9, 2026 \u2212 Senator Maria Collett\u00a0(D-12 Montgomery, Caucus Chair) has announced a new slate of legislation to address rising healthcare costs in Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs,<\/a>\u00a0crippling medical debt, and unaffordable insurance premiums,\u00a0nearly half of American adults are struggling to afford healthcare<\/a>.\u00a0120,000 Pennsylvanians cancelled their health insurance<\/a>\u00a0after Washington Republicans refused to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Due to changes included in President Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, an estimated\u00a016 million Americans will lose health coverage by 2034<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs a nurse who cared for patients at the bedside, I have seen firsthand the dire need for affordable, accessible healthcare,\u201d\u00a0said Collett.\u00a0\u201cPennsylvanians deserve care, not cuts.\u00a0 They deserve leaders who offer solutions, not excuses. That\u2019s why I continue to push legislation that will reduce out-of-pocket costs for preventive care and medications while addressing systemic issues like private equity greed.\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Collett\u2019s proposed legislation includes:\u00a0<\/p>\n Preventive Care & Medication Affordability<\/p>\n Maintaining Access to Preventive Healthcare:<\/a>\u00a0Requires health insurance policies to cover preventive health care services without cost-sharing. \u00a0 Systemic Reforms<\/p>\n Commission on Comprehensive Health Coverage<\/a>: Establishes a diverse 24-member commission tasked with evaluating the feasibility of creating a comprehensive health coverage system for the state by 2029. The primary objective of the commission will be to study how to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare coverage to all Pennsylvanians regardless of income or existing insurance. Consolidated Financial Reporting for licensed nursing home facility operators.
\nCo-pay Accumulator Legislation<\/a>\u00a0(SB 268): Requires insurers or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to count any amounts paid by the enrollee or paid on behalf of the enrollee by another party (i.e., drug manufacturer) when calculating an enrollee\u2019s overall contribution to the plan\u2019s deductible or out-of-pocket limit.\u00a0
\nCapping the Cost of Epinephrine Delivery Systems for All<\/a>\u00a0(SB 1126): Requires health insurers to cap the cost of Epinephrine Delivery Systems and limits the out-of-pocket cost for consumers to $35.
\nAccess to Contraceptives<\/a>\u00a0(SB 1112): Requires insurers to provide coverage for contraceptives, eliminates most co-payments for related coverage, removes pre-authorization requirements for certain contraceptives, and authorizes insurers to cover up to 12 months of birth control at one time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nNursing Home Resident Protections<\/a>:\u00a0To prioritize nursing home resident care, this legislation would require:<\/p>\n
\nThat at least 75% of taxpayer funds dedicated to a facility are spent on direct bedside care.
\nEstablish complete ownership records for each individual or entity that owns or operates the facility; and
\nReform licensing requirements to prevent the transfer or sale of skilled nursing facilities to entities with a history of closures in the Commonwealth or nationwide, unless specifically approved by the Department of Health.<\/p>\n