PBMs and pharma spend big on lobbying Congress

WASHINGTON — Congress did nothing this spring to regulate how pharmacy benefit managers operate, which is exactly the outcome industry lobbyists had hoped for.

And new evidence reveals that the PBM industry paid dearly to get that result. The industry’s largest trade group, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, spent 71% more on lobbying in the first three months of this year than in 2023, increasing its spending from $2.8 million to $4.8 million.

This round of negotiations continued to be detrimental to intermediaries between drug companies and health insurance companies. The House overwhelmingly passed a package that primarily promotes greater transparency. Two of his Senate committees have passed significant reforms to how his PBMs operate in the Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance markets. Also, non-controversial public health programs would have to be paid for in huge government spending bills, potentially making it impossible for members of Congress to vote on specific issues.