WASHINGTON — A key House Republican ramped up his criticism of pharmacy benefit managers Tuesday, calling for the government to dismantle companies that have consolidated drug supply chain operations.
“We should break these PBMs up,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said during an Education and Workforce Committee hearing. Health secretary Xavier Becerra testified at the hearing on his department’s priorities.
Lawmakers in both parties are considering several measures to rein in PBM business tactics. Some want PBMs to disclose more information about their business practices. Some want to make PBMs pass all rebates they negotiate to insurers. Others want to block so-called spread pricing, in which PBMs charge insurance plans far more for a drug than PBMs pay pharmacies to dispense. Others still want to protect independent pharmacies, which say PBMs are running them out of business with unfair contracts. The Federal Trade Commission, too, is scrutinizing the industry.
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