To the Editor:
I read that the topic of PBM reform came up in a recent congressional hearing on lowering the cost of weight loss drugs, including Ozempic. In my opinion, reforming PBMs (also known as pharmacy benefit managers) is something that lawmakers have overlooked for far too long. Congress must pass PBM reform this year to increase access and reduce costs for more prescription medications.
As the middlemen of the healthcare industry, PBMs have far too much control over patient access. These groups, which are often insurer-owned, can essentially dictate when and where patients can access the prescription medications they need—or whether they can access them at all.
In addition, PBMs are inflating prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses. By refusing to pass down the full value of the prescription rebates they secure from drug manufacturers, PBMs are pushing out-of-pocket costs even higher, making it more difficult for millions of patients to receive the doctor-prescribed medications they need to stay healthy.
Congress must pass PBM reform that curbs harmful PBM policies and ensures patients receive more of the savings and rebates that they are entitled to. If lawmakers fail to pass comprehensive reform this year, patients in Louisiana and across the country may continue to suffer at the hands of greedy insurers and their pharmacy benefit managers.
Lu Jones, RN
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