PBMs

PS-MarketAccess (Premium-2): Why Financial Scammers Are So Successful Targeting Doctors

 
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Doctors are increasingly falling victim to financial scams due to their high incomes, busy schedules, and trust in professional networks. Recognizing the tactics scammers use and the reasons behind physicians’ susceptibility is essential for protecting medical professionals.

Senate Hearing On Ozempic, Wegovy Highlights Concerns About PBMs, International Price Disparities

 
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Senate HELP Committee chair Sanders trying to broker a deal between Novo Nordisk and the major pharmacy benefit managers that will lead to lower list prices.

Shot Across The Bow? Express Scripts Lawsuit Seeks To Derail Fall-Out From FTC PBM Report

 
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Pharmacy benefit manager sues Federal Trade Commission claiming chair Khan has orchestrated a campaign against PBMs that is not based in fact.

‘Alternative' PBMs Say Vertical Integration Unfairly Carving Them Out Of The Game

 

Alternatives to the top pharmacy benefits managers argue health plan-PBM integration is leading to anti-competitive tactics that make it impossible for some employers to switch PBMs.


PBM Rebating Practices: How Much Do Employer Plan Sponsors Really Know?

 
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A National Pharmaceutical Council survey of self-insured employers offers a new perspective on pharmacy benefit manager claims that rebating practices only reflect the decisions made by their clients.

Looming Step Therapy Ban In Illinois Is ‘Game Changer,’ Could Start Trend

 
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Federal legislation on PBM reforms has stalled, but state efforts remain active. Illinois’ Healthcare Protection Act includes several other limits on insurer power, including prohibiting prior authorization for inpatient mental health care.

Medicare Reaffirms Faith In Formulary Review Process Ahead Of Part D Changes

 
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Dramatic transformation in the US Medicare Part D benefit design does not require any changes to CMS’ overall approach to reviewing formulary submissions from private drug plan sponsors, the agency says in its final guidance implementing the design changes for 2025.

With Reform Efforts Persisting, PBM Trade Association Sets Lobbying Record

 
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Infographic details who gave what to whom as all segments of the US healthcare industry gear up for the presidential election cycle.


Mark Cuban: Pharma’s Secret Weapon In The Fight Against PBMs

 

The well-known businessman and TV personality told the White House that the US needs to ‘stop doing business with the big three PBMs,’ helping to fight the drug industry’s battle against the middlemen with a friendlier face not associated directly with the brand industry.

PBM Action Lags In Congress And At FTC As Targeting Commercial Plans Divides Republicans

 

PBM reform isn’t expected to ride along with the next government funding packages, which could push any prospect of legislative reform closer to 2025. Meanwhile FTC says it is facing difficulty getting all the information for its investigation. 

Birth Control Guidance For Insurers Aims To Boost Coverage, Smooth Exemption ‘Pathway’

 
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Three-agency guidance, issued as Biden administration is hoping to emphasize reproductive rights in its reelection campaign, outlines the narrow set of circumstances in which a health plan doesn’t have to fully cover certain types of birth control.

Copay Accumulator Lawsuit Comes To An End; Will Ruling Be Enforced?

 
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The ball is now in the federal government’s and state insurance commissioners’ courts to enforce a district court ruling after HHS stops its appeal. As groups that brought the suit press CMS for guidance, they also eye complaints with DOL and class-action suits.


PBM Legislation And The Meaning Of ‘Meaningful’ Reform

 
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CEOs of J&J, Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck comment on the status of legislative policies reforming pharmacy benefit manager practices and the likelihood they will lower out-of-pocket costs for patients at a recent Senate hearing.

Blue Shield Of California’s Pharmacy Benefit Overhaul Could Still See Boost From Transparency Legislation

 
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The payor’s multiyear plan to ditch the traditional PBM model and use multiple vendors has drawn a lot of skepticism from other actors in the health care system, but Blue Shield is hoping that it can help give policymakers some momentum, VP Lum tells the Pink Sheet.