Elizabeth Warren and Josh Hawley want to Ban Insurers from owning Pharmacies

[JI7]

I don't think it's just ownership but even just working for both at the same time.


Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced in the Senate the Patients Before Monopolies Act (PBM Act), a bill “[t]o prohibit pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies from being under common ownership, and for other purposes.” The PBM Act would make it unlawful for any person to “own, operate, control, or direct the operation of” any type of pharmacy if that person also “own[s], operate[s], or control[s]” an insurance company or pharmacy benefits manager (PBM). This bill follows nearly a year of heightened government scrutiny of PBMs and allegations of harm resulting from vertical integration and price fixing. If passed, the PBM Act would prevent PBMs and payors from being in a position of control over pharmacies through which they can effect the competitive harms alleged.

https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/senate_introduces_bipartisan_bill_ban_coownership_pharmacies_pharmacy_benefits_managers_1224.html

[ProfessorGAC]

1. An Odd Pairing

But, it's hard to disagree with the principle.
Vertical integration could be a benefit to everyone, including the consumer. This situation does not feel like a fine example, especially if they have, in fact, resorted to price fixing.

[LastDemocratInSC]

14. I suspect most of the work on the bill is performed by staff

because it's likely that Warren, if they were sitting across from each other, would punch Hawley in the nose within 10 minutes otherwise.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Yeah, Probably So

It's probably just the weirdness of seeing Hawley's name attached to a good idea.

[malaise]

2. Good

That is all

[3Hotdogs]

3. This may become law. I don't think C.V.S./Aetna gave enough money to Trump's campaign to encourage him

to veto it.

[johnnyfins]

4. There must be something bad about this

Bill if Hawley's name is attached. Either that or he will somehow benefit from this.

[Oopsie Daisy]

5. Anyone who's no longer forced to use CVS benefits.

[intheflow]

11. The shooting was an equal opportunity

for voters on both sides of the aisle to unite in their - our - hatred of our healthcare system. In that context, this pairing doesn’t seem that far fetched to me.

[xmas74]

15. He's getting some heat in Missouri

Over Anthem' threat to reduce anesthesia last week. I heard his state offices had nonstop calls about it and they were bipartisan.

I can't stand him and I'm stuck with him as my senator. This is a smart move for him. It will get him his brownie points. Any attack towards anything health insurance related will be welcome, including pharmaceuticals.

He'd better stick to it for a change.

[Puppyjive]

6. My parents moved into assisted living

The had been on medicare part d. Pretty happy with their plan. The facility forced them onto their plan or their pharmacy. After researching a little further, we discovered the owner if the facility was also on the board of the pharmacy. Seemed highly suspect to me.

[Vinca]

7. It would also be nice if the big pharmacies weren't allowed to move into an area and buy out all the smaller

pharmacies. That's what happened where I live. You have a choice: Walgreens or Walgreens.

[DeepWinter]

8. Wrong POV

If I owned and Insurance company, I would love to own a Pharmacy. Because I would make the Pharmacies drugs cheap so I would be paying for them for cheap.

You could argue keeping the drugs expensive makes up for the insurance cost, you're making money one way or another from the customer/patient.

The actual drug producers don't care either way. They're getting paid.

[allegorical oracle]

9. There once was such a law. Don't know if it was just in Fla., or federal. Know this because

my primary doctor in Fla. added a pharmacy onto his medical office in the 1960s -- and was ordered to dismantle it. Similarly, pharmas were not permitted to advertise on TV, which was somewhat ironic, given that cigarettes and liquor could advertise.

[Emile]

10. The odd couple.

[justaprogressive]

12. and they're right! nt

[Nanjeanne]

13. Seems right. Seems odd there are those who would disagree.