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WILKES-BARRE — State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, this week announced the approval of a $100,000 Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program grant for the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
Pashinski said promoting Pennsylvania Agriculture — especially the dairy industry — is always one of his top priorities as the Democratic chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
“PA dairy farmers and producers produce the finest milk and dairy products anywhere — strengthening our diets and our economy,” Pashinski said. “These funds will help the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association continue promoting and supporting our incredible dairy industry.”
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association grant will go toward building the Choose PA Dairy Goodness that Matters campaign — which was started in 2018 using a previous PDIP award — into a sustained promotion campaign for 2020. Pashinski said this continued marketing campaign will use a multi-faceted approach to educate consumers about the benefits of purchasing and consuming Pennsylvania dairy products through advertising, sponsorship and targeted statewide public announcements.
“Thank you to the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association for your continued commitment to educating Pennsylvanians to drink Pennsylvania milk by looking for the PA Preferred label or for the plant number ‘42,’ which is usually printed near the top of the container or on the lid,” Pashinski said. “When Pennsylvanians see that, they know they’re drinking Pennsylvania homegrown nutritious and delicious milk while supporting our dairy farmers. No matter if you’re looking for milk, cheese, yogurt or ice cream, our farmers and producers make the highest quality dairy products you will find anywhere.”
The Choose PA Dairy Goodness that Matters projects will include strategically placed advertising at a wide range of popular venues and events across the state. The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association will leverage ongoing media interviews to target families, sports fans, teens and consumers of all ages to educate them on the benefits of purchasing and enjoying Pennsylvania dairy products.
AG urges Senate to fight
for lower prescription costs
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale this week called on the state Senate to act on legislation designed to help rein in the costs associated with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which act as middlemen between drug manufacturers and pharmacists.
“There’s too little transparency around the billions of dollars that state taxpayers pay PBMs for services provided to Medicaid enrollees,” DePasquale said. “It’s time for the Senate to act on a package of bills approved by the House last fall and send them to the governor for his signature.”
DePasquale, who has produced two special reports examining the growing role of PBMs, noted that Pennsylvania taxpayers paid $2.86 billion to PBMs for services provided to Medicaid enrollees in 2017.
These powerful companies set reimbursement rates for pharmacists, collect rebates from drug manufacturers and create preferred drug lists known as formularies to determine which medications are covered by insurance. The nation’s three largest PBMs report revenues in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Two of the House-approved bills include some of the actions the Auditor General outlined in his reports:
• One bill would give the state the ability to review the contracts between PBMs and managed care organizations.
• The other would prohibit “gag clauses” that stop pharmacists from telling customers how they might save money on their prescriptions, such as by paying cash instead of using their insurance.
“As I’ve said many times, improving the transparency of how PBMs operate and accountability for the tax dollars they receive could go a long way toward reducing the cost of prescriptions,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale was joined by Chuck Kray, pharmacist and owner of Hershey Pharmacy, HersheyCare and Hershey Long Term Care Pharmacies, and Darrin Silbaugh, pharmacist and owner of Harrisburg Pharmacy and See-Right Pharmacy. Both men discussed how PBM business practices are having an especially harsh financial impact on independent pharmacies.
Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association data show that at least 48 independent pharmacies in Pennsylvania closed or were sold in the past 12 months.
“In many communities, independent pharmacies are the front door of health care,” DePasquale said. “When small pharmacies close, it can create a real hardship on residents and make it more difficult for them to quickly access the medications and medical information they need.”
DePasquale released a special report on Bringing Transparency & Accountability to Drug Pricing in late 2018. He followed up in early 2019 with a special report on how rebates drive up prescription drug cost for consumers.
Property tax/rent rebate
applications now available
Application forms for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program are now available for eligible Pennsylvanians to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid in 2019, Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell announced this week,.
The deadline to apply for a rebate is June 30.
“More than half a million seniors and people with disabilities save on the rent or property taxes they paid by receiving a rebate through this program,” Hassell said. “We want to encourage everyone who is eligible to apply so that they can benefit from the program.”
Applicants may obtain Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms (PA-1000) and related information on the Department of Revenue’s website or by calling 1-888-222-9190.
It’s free to apply for a rebate, and the department reminds applicants that free assistance is available at hundreds of locations across the state, including Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and state legislators’ offices.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
