Washington, DC -EARL L. “Buddy” Carter Congress (GA-01), president of the health subcommittee, led an audience yesterday entitled An examination of the way the Reining in the PBMS will result in competition and a lower cost for patients.
“Patients rely on us to stop abusive practices that increase the costs of the pocket on their prescription drugs”, ” said President Carter. “This committee has worked to identify bipartite solutions that will significantly help patients access their drugs. Yesterday’s hearing gave us a chance to hear health professionals and political experts more on the reasons why the reintegration of PBMs and the increase in transparency in the system will improve our health care system for all Americans. »»
Look at the full audience here.
You will find below extracts from yesterday’s hearing:
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01):: “I say that in each PBM hearing, and I will repeat it today. PBMs do not treat a single patient. They do not heal a single disease and do not assure a single American. So the main thing is: these are patients, aren’t the gentlemen? This is certainly the case and how they lose access to the choice of pharmacy. These pharmacies, in most communities, are your independent pharmacies that are the most reliable and easily available health care providers in this community. So, the PBM reform is a bipartite problem, and you know what it means? This means that the two parties agree on this question. It is not a question of discord. It is important that we made a PBM reform. »»
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01):: “It is not a secret for anyone that PBM intermediaries artificially inflate the cost and limit access to prescription drugs. This occurs at the expense of patients who receive health insurance in public and private markets and have an impact on patients of all ages. The PBMS says they reduce prices by holding responsible pharmaceutical companies. This is done, they argue, requiring discounts on drugs, which are then transmitted to the beneficiary. Although PBM often negotiates discounts for manufacturers, patients are not those who benefit from it. In the Medicare part, for example, sharing the costs of patients is based on the price of the drug list, which are artificially swollen to extract a higher discount. Consequently, of these practices for 79 of the 100 most reduced drugs of Medicare Part D, the beneficiaries pay more for their medication than their insurer. Again, demonstrating that the beneficiaries, in this case, the elderly do not benefit from the discounts. »»
Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12):: “Due to the independent PBM pharmacies of PBM pharmacies across the country. I know that in my district, we are not unrelated to this question. I hear my friends, family and voters that their trusted pharmacies have closed after decades of service from their communities. Pharmacy deserts have continued to grow and patients no longer have access to pharmacist relationships of patients who helped them manage complex drugs and diseases. It is estimated that between 2018 and 2021 only, the number of pharmacies has decreased in 41 states. So it’s not just a problem with Ohio. This is not a rural problem. This is a national question that must be addressed. »»
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