Statement of Support for AAP v Kennedy

For decades, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have served as your trusted providers of vaccine care. New vaccine recommendations may seem confusing, but your pharmacist is ready to help. Pharmacists are trained health care providers who can explain which vaccines are recommended for you based on your age and other health needs. Pharmacists use their clinical training and the latest scientific information to guide you and your family. Pharmacists can give vaccines to both children and adults. Some states have rules that limit which vaccines and at what ages.

On Jan. 22, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee and House Ways & Means Committee held hearings with the Chief Executives of five major health insurers. With a focus on affordability, Members and witnesses each shared a series of questions, proposals, and commitments regarding the increasing costs of care in the United States. And while health policy proposals continue to face partisan gridlock in Congress, legislators on both sides of the aisle agreed that health insurance premiums have risen exponentially, while increasing rates of prior authorization denials hamper patient access to care.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the House appropriators unveiled a three-part minibus spending package for Fiscal Year 2026. The package covers appropriations for the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, and Department of Homeland Security. In addition to appropriations funding, the proposal includes several policy changes such as long-term extensions of expiring Medicare telehealth flexibilities and community health center funding, health care program reauthorizations, and significant pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform proposals extending to both Medicare and commercial plans.