RealClearHealth published the following opinion from the Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA), Without Comprehensive PBM Reform, Patient Health Outcomes Will Suffer. The piece from Liz Helms, Director and Founder of CCPA, calls on Congress to address discriminatory and opaque pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices in order to realize a core goal of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients at the pharmacy counter. The opinion highlights the missed opportunity of the IRA to address the role of PBMs in driving up costs for patients at a time when PBM reform has become one of few bipartisan focuses in Congress. The piece reads, in part:
“It is undeniable that the IRA includes certain provisions that will help patients. However, the law misses a critical opportunity to address real drivers of patient out-of-pocket costs – the PBM practices that keep out-of-pocket costs high and interfere with treatment access. Instead, the IRA’s price setting policies could result in an increase in UM tactics and other restrictions – a step in the wrong direction as members of Congress advance bills to address these very practices and protect treatment access for patients.”
RealClearHealth is widely read by federal policymakers and healthcare influencers inside and outside of Washington. We expect the publication to promote and syndicate the piece to other relevant outlets. Watch for it in your area. You can read the op-ed here: