Although many latest reforms concerning prescription drug affordability have been targeted on producers and well being plans, pharmacy profit managers (“PBMs”) are additionally the main target of elevated consideration from federal policymakers and companies.
As a result of the biggest PBMs are sometimes vertically built-in with suppliers, specialty pharmacies and/or prescription drug plan sponsors, different entities within the healthcare trade have attributed elevated drug prices to PBMs’ market shares and the ensuing leverage that PBMs use to barter costs. Nevertheless, numerous research have discovered that PBMs “broaden the financial pie” in prescription markets and redistribute financial savings from producers and pharmacies to plan beneficiaries, by fueling competitors that lowers retail and manufacturing costs. In 2019, the Authorities Accountability Workplace and the Division of Well being and Human Companies Workplace of the Inspector Basic (“HHS OIG”) launched reviews discovering that PBM-negotiated rebates decrease prescription drug prices for Medicare Half D. Additional, PBMs have been discovered to encourage drug innovation and generate financial savings on specialty drugs, and they’re anticipated to save plan sponsors and customers greater than $1 trillion from 2020 to 2029.
On March 1, 2023, the Home Committee on Oversight and Accountability launched an investigation into PBM practices. Chairman James Comer said that federal companies administering well being care applications for seniors, active-duty navy, and federal workers are counting on PBMs as middlemen to set drug costs, which may open the door to authorities waste. The press launch for the investigation additionally cited to the Committee Republicans’ December 2021 report, which discovered that giant PBM consolidation has compelled producers to lift their costs, and created conflicts of curiosity which distort the market and restrict prime quality look after sufferers.
In furtherance of the investigation, Chairman Comer has despatched requests for info to the Workplace of Personnel Administration, the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Companies (“CMS”), the Protection Well being Company, and several other PBMs. Noting that CMS oversees the biggest federal contracts with PBMs via the Medicare and Medicaid applications, Chairman Comer has requested CMS to offer info concerning the next:
- The accounting of rebates, charges, or different comparable prices acquired by PBMs associated to the Medicare or Medicaid program;
- All contracts between CMS and PBMs;
- All paperwork and communications associated to oversight by CMS of PBM implementation and execution of Medicare or Medicaid contracts; and
- All paperwork and communications associated to the recoupment of funds made improperly to PBMs throughout the Medicare or Medicaid applications.
The Senate can be investigating PBM practices: On February 16, 2023, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation convened a committee listening to on “Bringing Transparency and Accountability to Pharmacy Profit Managers,” through which the Committee Chair Maria Cantwell indicated comparable considerations. She additionally emphasised the necessity for structural reforms, such because the bipartisan S. 127, Pharmacy Profit Supervisor Transparency Act of 2023, which was launched by Chair Cantwell and Senator Chuck Grassley on January 27, 2023.
These efforts by federal policymakers to extend oversight of PBMs add gas to present fires: Final yr, the Federal Commerce Fee (“FTC”) launched an investigation into the PBM trade, searching for info on the aggressive affect of the contracting and enterprise practices of the six largest PBMs. The FTC has requested info on numerous subjects together with: pharmacy reimbursement knowledge, pharmacy community contracts and administration, charges and claw-backs charged to pharmacies, drug formulary exclusions, insurance policies for specialty and mail-order pharmacies, rebate contracts, audits of pharmacies, and any ancillary service agreements. The FTC additionally launched a Coverage Assertion indicating its intent to behave “expeditiously” to scrutinize PBM practices that violate the FTC Act, the Clayton Act, the Robinson-Patman Act, or the Sherman Act.
Moreover, the OIG introduced its intent to problem a report on whether or not States present sufficient oversight of Medicaid MCOs to make sure accountability over quantities paid for prescription drug advantages to PBMs.
In the meantime, state legislatures proceed to cross numerous legal guidelines to additional regulate PBMs, equivalent to requiring clear communication about drug value info to sufferers; prohibiting discrimination towards 340B entities; prohibiting PBMs from altering their drug formularies in the course of the yr; requiring registration with state insurance coverage commissions; imposing sure necessities for generics and biosimilars on formulary exclusion lists, and permitting state entities to audit and evaluate PBM practices.
Pharmacy commerce associations and producers have supported efforts to intensify oversight of PBMs. In the meantime, PBMs argue that the proposed federal laws would each present for an egregious enlargement of the FTC’s authority and put in danger the financial savings that PBMs safe for well being plans and sufferers.
We’ll proceed to observe and supply updates on these developments.
