Senate Could Pass PBM Reforms This Year

  • Apr 13, 2023

    Congressional interest in PBM reform may turn into comprehensive legislation as soon as this summer, D.C. insiders tell AIS Health, a division of MMIT, and possibly has enough bipartisan support to pass both chambers. Lobbyists representing employer plan sponsors say that measures including a requirement that PBMs be fiduciaries to plan sponsors and members, a federal ban on spread pricing, and mandatory price transparency disclosures are all under serious discussion. 

    Several Senate committees have made moves to advance PBM legislation. The Finance Committee held a hearing on PBMs at the end of March; the Commerce Committee has advanced legislation; and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee seems poised to mark up legislation this month, according to press reports. In the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, several bills have sponsors from both parties, and the HELP Committee markup will feature members of both parties, led by committee chair Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt., who caucuses with Democrats) and ranking member Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).  

    Read more
    © 2024 MMIT
  • Peter Johnson

    Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.

The Latest
Meet Our Reporters

Meet Our Reporters

×