PBM
Commentary
Learn how PBMs pocket savings intended for patients
How Long Can Pharmacy Benefit Managers Go Unchecked?
Last week, a House subcommittee held a hearing on pharmacy benefit managers and their impact on the prices patients pay for prescription drugs. The hearing speaks to voters’ concerns. Republicans and Democrats alike have identified the cost of prescription drugs as their No. 2 health care concern, according to polling ...
Commentary
Read the latest about the problems with PBMs
Insulin Lawsuits Obscure A Dirty Business
The plaintiffs say they’re fighting for patients. They’re less forthcoming about the fact that they’ve profited handsomely from the system they’re now decrying. For years, these cities and states have insisted on a cut—if not all—of the rebates that these pharmacy benefit managers extract from drug makers when negotiating over ...
Drug Pricing
NEW BRIEF: JAMA Study Justifying Drug Price Controls Deeply Flawed, Patient Health Jeopardized if Findings Implemented
SACRAMENTO – A new brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute analyzes a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study cited by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) to justify drug price controls, finding it was deeply flawed and would put ...
Health Care
NEW BRIEF: End Anti-Market Distortions in Current PBM System Would Lower Patient Costs, Increase Access to Life-Saving Drugs
SACRAMENTO – Fixing the current broken system that incentivizes pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to enact policies that benefit themselves and insurers at the expense of patients would lead to lower patient drug costs, finds a new brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the nonpartisan ...
Commentary
Read latest about problems with PBMs
Decoupling PBM Fees Enhances Patient Outcomes
The three largest PBMs—Caremark (CVS Health/Aetna AET 0.0%), Express Scripts ESRX 0.0% (Cigna CI +0.7%), and OptumRx (UnitedHealth Group UNH +0.2%)—control 80% of the market and are integrated into large health insurance conglomerates. PBMs negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of insurers and manage their drug formularies. Read ...
Commentary
Read about problems of PBMs
Congress Waking Up to PBMs Drug Cost Manipulations
PBMs work for (or increasingly are part of) insurance companies. They decide which drugs patients can access and negotiate rebates to drugs’ list prices. The term “rebates” sounds like these discounts should benefit patients, but PBMs and insurers pocket these savings while basing patients’ costs on the higher undiscounted prices. ...
Blog
What do Ticketmaster and Pharmacy Benefit Managers have in common?
Popular American singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift, released her newest album ‘Midnights’ in October. The album quickly became the most-streamed album in 24 hours on Spotify, with 184.6 million streams, according to Guinness World Records. Following the release, the artist sought to work with Ticketmaster, a company who arguably has ...
Learn how PBMs pocket savings intended for patients
How Long Can Pharmacy Benefit Managers Go Unchecked?
Last week, a House subcommittee held a hearing on pharmacy benefit managers and their impact on the prices patients pay for prescription drugs. The hearing speaks to voters’ concerns. Republicans and Democrats alike have identified the cost of prescription drugs as their No. 2 health care concern, according to polling ...
Read the latest about the problems with PBMs
Insulin Lawsuits Obscure A Dirty Business
The plaintiffs say they’re fighting for patients. They’re less forthcoming about the fact that they’ve profited handsomely from the system they’re now decrying. For years, these cities and states have insisted on a cut—if not all—of the rebates that these pharmacy benefit managers extract from drug makers when negotiating over ...
NEW BRIEF: JAMA Study Justifying Drug Price Controls Deeply Flawed, Patient Health Jeopardized if Findings Implemented
SACRAMENTO – A new brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute analyzes a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study cited by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) to justify drug price controls, finding it was deeply flawed and would put ...
NEW BRIEF: End Anti-Market Distortions in Current PBM System Would Lower Patient Costs, Increase Access to Life-Saving Drugs
SACRAMENTO – Fixing the current broken system that incentivizes pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to enact policies that benefit themselves and insurers at the expense of patients would lead to lower patient drug costs, finds a new brief released today by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the nonpartisan ...
Read latest about problems with PBMs
Decoupling PBM Fees Enhances Patient Outcomes
The three largest PBMs—Caremark (CVS Health/Aetna AET 0.0%), Express Scripts ESRX 0.0% (Cigna CI +0.7%), and OptumRx (UnitedHealth Group UNH +0.2%)—control 80% of the market and are integrated into large health insurance conglomerates. PBMs negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of insurers and manage their drug formularies. Read ...
Read about problems of PBMs
Congress Waking Up to PBMs Drug Cost Manipulations
PBMs work for (or increasingly are part of) insurance companies. They decide which drugs patients can access and negotiate rebates to drugs’ list prices. The term “rebates” sounds like these discounts should benefit patients, but PBMs and insurers pocket these savings while basing patients’ costs on the higher undiscounted prices. ...
What do Ticketmaster and Pharmacy Benefit Managers have in common?
Popular American singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift, released her newest album ‘Midnights’ in October. The album quickly became the most-streamed album in 24 hours on Spotify, with 184.6 million streams, according to Guinness World Records. Following the release, the artist sought to work with Ticketmaster, a company who arguably has ...
