Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Audit Finds One Of The Largest PBMs Overcharged Postal Workers Millions
Stat: Express Scripts Overcharged Postal Workers By $45 Million, Audit Says
Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the country, overcharged U.S. Postal Service employees by a whopping $45 million for their prescription drugs during a recent five-year period, according to a federal audit. (Herman and Silverman, 7/22)
Bloomberg Law: Small Pharmacy Closures Spur Statehouse Battles On PBM Practices
Pharmacy trade groups are pushing for state legislation to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, arguing that PBMs are forcing community pharmacies to close across the US, including regions with few health-care options. In 2024 state legislative sessions, lawmakers introduced more than 170 bills in 41 states seeking to regulate the entities that manage prescription drug benefits, according to the National Academy for State Health Policy. The top three PBMs—CVS Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx—control nearly 80% of the market. (Castronuovo, 7/22)
NPR: A Popular Asthma Medication Is Discontinued, Leaving Some Patients Scrambling
When Jacqueline Vakil needed a refill for Flovent, her 4-year-old son’s asthma medicine, she couldn’t get it. The drugmaker GSK had stopped making the popular inhaler, back in January. To make matters worse, Vakil’s insurance provider wouldn’t cover the alternative drug their doctor suggested. “It got to the point that I was on the phone constantly with our doctor to try to find a substitute,” Vakil says. (Yu, 7/22)
Bloomberg: Hims & Hers Says ‘Voluntarily Cooperating’ With FTC Inquiry
Hims & Hers Health Inc. is cooperating with an inquiry from the US Federal Trade Commission for more information. “We support the FTC’s mission to protect customers and we strive to ensure best practices in everything that we do,” a spokesperson said in an email to Bloomberg. “We are voluntarily cooperating in responding to an FTC inquiry for information.” (Muller, 7/19)
