Miller-Meeks leads on PBM reform

Iowans are lucky to have Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, whose commitment to prescription drug accessibility and affordability can be clearly seen in the legislation she champions in Washington, D.C. As a physician, Rep. Miller-Meeks understands firsthand what’s at stake for patients and families who rely on timely, affordable access to the medicines they need.

Her recent reintroduction of the De-linking Revenue from Unfair Gouging (DRUG) Act is a powerful example of patient-centered policymaking. This legislation takes a targeted approach to preventing price gouging by addressing the unfair practices of the middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBM). Currently PBMs make money by negotiating with drug manufacturers to buy medicines at a discount and then charging patients co-pays based on the undiscounted price of a drug and pocketing the difference. The DRUG Act would delink PBM payments from the list price of a drug, removing the incentive for PBMs to prefer higher priced drugs in their formularies.

The reforms made in the DRUG Act would provide significant cost savings for patients at the pharmacy counter. I am grateful to Rep. Miller-Meeks for her leadership in the fight for PBM reform and standing up for Iowa in Congress. I hope her colleagues join her in this effort to reform PBMs and lower costs for patients across the country.

Nathaniel Feldman

North Liberty