Pharmacists Fight Back in Medicare and Medicaid Act
Rep. Auchincloss Leads Bipartisan Push to Lower Drug Costs by Regulating Pharmacy Middlemen
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by two House committees. It is actively moving forward as it waits for these committees to consider its contents. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
The bill has strong support from both parties and powerful committee leaders, but it faces heavy opposition from the multi-billion dollar insurance and middleman industries.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Independent pharmacy owners, who are small business operators, stand to benefit significantly. The bill guarantees reimbursement based on actual drug acquisition costs plus a markup and dispensing fee, ending the practice where PBMs pay pharmacies less than what the drugs cost to buy. The anti-steering provisions also protect independent pharmacies from losing customers to PBM-owned mail-order or specialty pharmacies.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articles
Lawmakers Introduce Comprehensive PBM Reform Bill
A bipartisan group of U.S. House leaders introduced the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, described as a comprehensive effort to reform pharmacy benefit managers. The bill mandates reimbursements based on drug acquisition costs plus dispensing fees for Medicare, Medicaid, and federal health plans.
NCPA supports Pharmacists Fight Back Act
The National Community Pharmacists Association endorsed the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, reintroduced on Dec. 11. The bill aims to reform federal healthcare payments by requiring reimbursements based on acquisition costs and fair dispensing fees while banning anti-competitive patient steering.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Pharmacists Fight Back in Medicare and Medicaid Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(40)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.