“Over 140 pharmacies have closed in our Commonwealth since the beginning of the year,” said Dr. Mayank “Dr. Mak” Amin, the owner of Skippack Pharmacy. “While I stand here and celebrate our pharmacy’s 5th anniversary, we are also bleeding due to poor reimbursements and patient steering. Community pharmacies like Skippack Pharmacy vaccinated over 100,000 patients during the pandemic and provided critical supplies to those in need, but what will save community pharmacies like ours?" Read more
Newly listed grant programs Read more
Benham urges state Senate vote on legislation to reform PBM practices Read more
Newly listed grant opportunities Read more
As a member of the Health, Human Services, and Aging and Older Adult Services Committees, PA state Rep. Jessica Benham understands the need for local pharmacies. Unfortunately, community pharmacies are closing at an alarming rate due to unfair business practices by pharmacy benefit managers who steer business away from mom and pop pharmacies and direct consumers to big chains. Benham has introduced legislation with bipartisan support that would help community pharmacies stay afloat and lower the cost of prescription drugs for patients. Read more
Legislation to reel in pharmacy benefit managers advances Read more
Pharmacy owners say PBM reform needed to lower drug prices, drive market competition Read more
Newly listed state grant programs Read more
“This is not a Pittsburgh issue or a Scranton issue. In rural areas, small towns, suburbs, and cities, community pharmacies are closing. Unless we enact reforms, we will continue to lose these trusted institutions that provide personalized service to their customers. My legislation will give them a level playing field with the large corporate pharmacies,” said Rep. Benham, who represents portions of Allegheny County. Read more
Bipartisan bill would help local pharmacies stay in business Read more
Celebrating the five state boards -- the state boards of Nursing, the Medicine, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, Psychology and Osteopathic Medicine -- who all voted recently to adopt new statements of policy opposing the use of conversion therapy on minors in Pennsylvania, members of the Pennsylvania House LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus issued the following statement: “The LGBTQ+ community often faces a troubling disparity, where accessing appropriate health care can be tainted by discrimination, misunderstanding and systemic barriers. This new policy, adopted throughout the state, validates what advocates have been saying for decades about the dangers of conversion therapy, and sends a clear message that we will not let hatred masquerade as medical treatment here in Pennsylvania.” The new policies notify licensees that all five boards consider the use of conversion therapy to be unprofessional, harmful conduct that may subject any licensee engaging in it to administrative discipline. They said that conversion therapy refers to any practice that seeks or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. “The LGBTQ+ community's experience with health care must reflect inclusivity, respect, and understanding, ensuring every individual receives the quality care they deserve, free from discrimination or bias." Read more
Free bike raffle, festivities on National Ride a Bike Day Read more
Below are multiple state grant programs that are currenctly open for application. Please contact my office if you have questions. NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commission on Crime and Delinquency: National Incident-Based Reporting System Compliance Efforts Who May Apply: Local law enforcement agencies, campus or university police, railroad or street railway police, airport authority police, and county park police. Use: Funds for the proposed program shall be used to improve reporting of crime statistics by upgrading technology infrastructure to report incident-based crime data to the FBI’s NIBRS. Funds: $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding is available. PCCD expects to fund approximately 50 grants with budgets not to exceed $200,000 over the two-year project period. Application Deadline: June 13. 2024 More information: PCCD Website Department of Environmental Protection: Growing Greener (Watershed Restoration and Protection) Plus Program Who May Apply: Incorporated watershed associations, counties, county conservation districts, council of governments, tax-exempt corporations under 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, educational institutions, or municipal authorities. Use: Projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution—especially nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agricultural and stormwater runoff. The Department is particularly interested in design and Read more
New bill would reel in Pharmacy Benefit Managers Read more
HARRISBURG, April 17 – State Reps. Roni Green and Tarik Khan, both D-Phila., were joined by a bipartisan group of their legislative colleagues, public safety telecommunicators and advocates at the state Capitol today to celebrate “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” and discuss how the legislature can work to help Pennsylvania’s telecommunicators and 911 dispatchers. The telecommunicators and advocates who were present included Jack Morgan III, 911 operator from Allegheny County; Sara Slote, dispatch manager, Lancaster County 911; Bill Perkins, state constable; Garrett Rienhardt, recipient of life-saving care; Tyler Griffith, dispatcher; AFSCME members; and Gordon Zimmet, Local 1637 president. At the news conference, the legislators discussed a resolution (H.R. 377), introduced by Green that recognizes the week of April 14-20 “Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” in Pennsylvania. The resolution was adopted by the House later in the day. “911 dispatchers are the point of first contact between the caller and first responders. The speed and efficiency with which they work saves lives. They parse through heaps of information in very chaotic situations and support callers during what is often one of the most difficult moments of their lives,” Green said. “It’s time for the commonwealth to give back to 911 dispatchers the kind of support they give us. My daughter worked Read more
HARRISBURG, April 17 – State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster; Malcom Kenyatta, D-Phila.; and Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny, today applauded the Pennsylvania boards of Psychology and Osteopathic Medicine for their recent adoption of new policies opposing the practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ+ minors. The representatives issued the following statement: “We applaud the state Boards of Psychology and Osteopathic Medicine’s adoption of a new Statement of Policies (SOP) that opposes the use of the discredited, pseudoscientific practice of conversion therapy on minors in Pennsylvania. Conversion therapy, also known as conversion abuse, is a dangerous practice aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression that has resulted in profound physical and psychological harm on patients, including depression, trauma, and suicide. “We hope that the state boards of Medicine, Nursing and Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors will vote in the coming weeks to adopt similar SOPs opposing the use of conversion therapy. “Although we are glad to see esteemed state medical boards gradually take steps to oppose the practice of conversion abuse, this is happening at too slow a rate. It is long past time that Pennsylvania joins the 20 other states outlawing the practice. Our bill, the Protection of Minors from Conversion Therapy Act, would prohibit a mental health Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Transportation: Automated Red Light Enforcement Transportation Enhancements Grant Program (ARLE Program) Who May Apply: Local governments, planning organizations, or Commonwealth agencies. Use: Eligible uses include, but are not limited to, roadway safety, mobility, and capacity upgrades, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, local technical assistance program projects, and traffic signal improvements. Funds: PennDOT anticipates $32 million available with the intent of funding worthwhile projects that can be completed at a relatively low cost. Application Deadline: A pre-application scoping form is required to be submitted by April 30, 2024. Feedback will be provided by May 31, 2024. The application period will be open from June 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024. More information: PennDOT Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Intermediate Punishment Treatment Program Who May Apply: Counties Use: Funds for the proposed program must be used to support restrictive conditions that are imposed as part of a county probation sentence and may be used for needed drug and alcohol-related services, and mental health treatment and supportive services for eligible individuals Funds: Funding is contingent upon the availability of funds in the FY 2024-25 budget. Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 More information: PCCD Website Department of Community and Economic Development: Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) Read more
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