Real Clear Markets Author: Lori Chavez-DeRemer , US Secretary of Labor Administrations have repeatedly tried to shine a bright light into the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). But those efforts have not been successful – until President Trump set his sights on lowering drug costs for the American worker. Thanks to his leadership, the Department of Labor is piercing the veil of secrecy that PBMs have hidden behind to introduce transparency in prescription

BenefitsPro Reporter: Allison Bell Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., have returned to the health policy wrestling ring with a new bill that could keep health insurers and many other types of health sector companies from owning their buyers or their vendors. The new "Break Up Big Medicine Act" bill seeks to fight " vertical integration " in health care by prohibiting a company from: ◆ Owning a medical care provider and a pharmacy benefit manager at t

Drug Store News Reporter: Sandra Levy The U.S. House has passed appropriations legislation that includes pharmacy benefit manager reforms. The bill, which passed the House with a 217-214 vote and previously passed the Senate with a 71-29 vote, now proceeds to President Trump’s desk for his signature. National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steve Anderson issued a statement today following the vote. Anderson stated, “Congress and the Trump Administration ar

Desert News Reporter: Valerie Braylovskiy In Heber-Overgaard, Arizona, everyone knows everyone. Tucked in the state’s White Mountains, the town has no stoplights or big-box stores — just open sky, wandering elk herds and a diner serving homemade strawberry shortcake for a few dollars. Its roughly 3,000 residents come from two unincorporated communities: Heber, settled by Latter-day Saints, and Overgaard, a former lumber hub. After merging in 1990, the twin towns became known

The Orange County Register Author: Wayne Winegarden If lawmakers want to make pharmaceuticals more affordable, they should look past populist policies like price controls that will only make matters worse and set their sights on reforming the Pharmacy Benefit Manager market. PBMs manage the drug benefits for insurers and negotiate discounts with drug manufacturers. You probably use one every time you go to the pharmacy to get your medications refilled and don’t even realize i

DC Journal Author: Mark Merritt If Americans want to pay less for prescription drugs, there is no way to do it without reforming the Pharmacy Benefit Manager industry. Congress should do so by the end of this year. The PBMs, once known for reducing drug costs, no longer exist. Literally, they are no longer independent companies. They sit inside the insurance giants that own them. Cash machines to help health conglomerates hit quarterly numbers. For 15 years, I led the trade a

Community pharmacies are facing major barriers due to PBM practices and vertical integration, ultimately jeopardizing patient access and trust in health care. Drug Topics Independent community pharmacies are grappling with unprecedented pressures that threaten their viability and reshape the patient care landscape. As pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices like direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees, clawbacks, and low reimbursement rates have accelerated, pharmacists

The drug intermediary overseeing the military’s TRICARE pharmacy program is limiting access to care and overcharging taxpayers hundreds of dollars on average per prescription. The Lever Reporter: Helen Santoro One of the nation’s most powerful pharmacy intermediaries is quietly charging the military’s health insurance program $484 more on average per generic drug than independent and big chain pharmacies, according to exclusive data shared with The Lever. The scheme forces ta

The corporate takeover of health care has destroyed America’s health STAT Reporters: Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, Adam W. Gaffney, and Danny McCormick Health care costs are surging. ACA Marketplace premiums will rise 18%  next year— even more for the millions set to lose their enhanced federal subsidies without congressional action. Meanwhile, big employers expect their premiums — already about $25,000 for family coverage — to increase 9% in 2026. Gargantuan he

Pharmacy Times Authors: Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA , Jeff Hunnicutt Key Takeaways PBMs, initially designed to reduce costs, now inflate...

HME News Reporter: HME News Staff Pharmacy benefit managers had little competition in 2023, with just four firms having two-thirds share...

Fierce Healthcare Reporter: Paige Minemyer While major pharmacy benefit management reform was stripped out of the Big Beautiful Bill, a...

WPRI News 12 Reporter: Elizabeth Turley CVS Health plans to appeal after a judge in the Southern District of New York ordered its...

Prescott eNews At the speed of today’s news cycle, it can be hard to keep up with the latest healthcare policy news coming out of...

BenefitsPro Reporter: Wes Hill Whether it is regulating pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurers, or pharmacy benefits managers,...

Axios Reporter: Maya Goldman Drug price middlemen are going to court to fight a first-in-the-nation effort to police their ownership of...

State efforts are aiming to bring more disclosure and transparency to PBM practices, mandating certain pharmacy reimbursement levels,...

News & Observer Reporter: Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi The North Carolina Senate passed Wednesday, with unanimous support, a bill...

A trade group hopes to aim the Department of Government Efficiency at its members' adversaries to "eliminate waste." ALM Benefits Pro...

Axios Reporter: Tina Reed At least half a dozen states are weighing new restrictions aimed at limiting pharmacy benefit managers' ability...