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Oct 28, 2025

October Subscriber Email

 

Tell Our Legislators: Access Does Not Equal Informed Consent

 

Oppose HB1828: Protecting Vaccine Access in Pennsylvania – Legislator Handout: Oppose HB1828 Sept. 2025 2 sided

 What the bill would do:

  • Replaces federal guidance: Substitutes CDC and ACIP guidance with recommendations from private medical  or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the AAP, ACOG, ACP, and AAFP— allowing these groups to shape PA Department of Health policy.

  • Expands insurance mandates: Requires insurers to cover 100% of all v—es recommended by these organizations — even if they are not recommended by the CDC — with no out-of-pocket cost to patients. Coverage must also apply out-of-network if the v—e isn’t available in-network.

  • Shifts power to private interests: Gives influence to NGOs that may have financial ties to v—e manufacturers, reducing transparency and public accountability.

Two Ways to Take Action

  1. Attend or Watch the Committee Hearing Tuesday, October 7th

    A hearing and vote on this bill is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7th – at the Capitol in the Irvis Building, Room G50. The time is to be determined, so watch out for updates! If you cannot attend in person, please watch online. We’ll post the link on our public Facebook page. Legislators do pay attention to the views that a hearing receives online.

     

  2. Call the committee members and let them know you oppose HB1828.  If you don’t have time to call all of the members on the committee, please call the democrat and republican Insurance committee chairs and let them know you oppose HB1828. Don’t forget that you can call and leave a message after hours! Those messages “count” and will be taken into consideration.  If you are a constituent of either of these representatives, please make sure you let them know that, too.

 

Democrat House of Representatives Insurance Committee Chair

Perry S. Warren  (717) 787-5475

Democrat Committee Members

Steven Malagari  (717) 783-8515

Greg Scott  (717) 772-0749

Aerion Abney (717) 783-3783

Tim Brennan  (717) 772-2361

Morgan Cephas  (717) 783-2192

Jim Haddock (717) 787-3589

Bridget Kosierowski (717) 783-4874

Robert Merski (717) 787-4358

Kyle Mullins (717) 783-5043

Brian Munroe  (717) 772-1983

Darisha Parker (717) 787-7727

Christina Sappey (717) 772-9973

Arvind Venkat (717) 772-2363

Republican House of Representatives Insurance Committee Chair
Tina Pickett (717) 783-8238

Republican Committee Members
Eric Nelson (717) 260-6146
Jonathan Fritz (717) 783-2910
Aaron Bernstine (717) 783-8322
Ann Flood  (717) 783-8573
Keith Greiner (717) 783-6422
Thomas Kutz (717) 783-2063
Thomas Leadbeter (717) 783-1102
Jeff Oslommer (717) 783-1102
Louis Schmitt (717) 787-6419
Dane Watro (717) 260-6136
David Zimmerman (717) 787-3531

 

Talking Points To Oppose HB1828: Choose one or two to share when you call!

1. Protect medical choice and informed consent.

  • HB1828 would shift v—e guidance from public agencies like the CDC to private medical groups that are not publicly accountable.

  • Every Pennsylvanian deserves the right to make medical decisions — especially regarding v— — without pressure from mandates driven by non-governmental organizations.

2. Keep public health policy accountable to the public.

  • NGOs such as the AAP or ACOG are professional associations, not elected or government entities.

  • Allowing them to guide state health policy removes oversight and transparency that currently exists when recommendations come through federal public processes.

3. Guard against conflicts of interest.

  • Many private medical organizations receive funding or sponsorship from pharmaceutical manufacturers.

  • HB1828 risks giving groups with potential financial ties to v—e producers a direct role in determining which v—es insurers must pay for — effectively guaranteeing a market for their products.

4. Protect patients from forced coverage and cost burdens.

  • The bill would require insurance companies to cover all recommended v—es at 100%, even if they’re not CDC-recommended.

  • That means higher costs distributed across all policyholders — regardless of personal choice or medical need — to subsidize additional v—es.

5. Maintain consistency and clarity in public health guidance.

  • Pennsylvania should not replace uniform federal vaccine recommendations with a patchwork of guidance from multiple private organizations, which could create confusion for both providers and patients. 

 

On Sept. 30, the PA House Democratic Policy Committee held a hearing entitled Acetaminophen and Autism: Sorting Fact from Fear.

 

The hearing largely ignored profound autism in favor of highlighting the type of autism more commonly portrayed in media – smart and quirky, if a bit socially awkward. Speakers at the hearing denied a connection between medical interventions and the development of autism.

 

We’d like to show lawmakers the other side of the story – that autism doesn’t always feel like a gift. Sometimes, medical interventions that are widely used and accepted do result in negative outcomes. Sometimes, following standard medical advice has adverse consequences. We’d like to amplify voices that are were ignored in the hearing, as well as let lawmakers know that v—s do carry risks, sometimes irreversible ones.

 

PCIC is seeking testimonies to be shared with legislators. Testimonies will not be shared publicly. Use the button below to submit your testimony!

Testimony Form

 Looking for ways to get involved? Join our legislative team at the state capitol. Lobby Days typically run 10am-2pm. For more information, check out our Lobby Day Guide

Legislative Advocacy

Email Link: https://mailchi.mp/32ff797ffe0c/action-items-to-address-today-new-bill-transfers-decision-making-power-to-private-interests-and-testimonies-needed-to-educate-legislators?e=23d63a2835