A conservative tax organization, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), has initiated a multimillion-dollar campaign targeting several Republican senators for their stance on reforming Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The senators under scrutiny include Josh Hawley of Missouri, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Mike Braun of Indiana, and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi. CCAGW argues that restricting PBMs would negatively impact patients and taxpayers.
The campaign will employ grassroots activism, online messaging, and various media outreach strategies. CCAGW President Tom Schatz criticizes the reform efforts as a step towards socialized medicine, echoing concerns about government overreach in healthcare. The organization views PBM reform as a move towards government-controlled healthcare, a direction they strongly oppose.
PBMs negotiate drug prices between pharmaceutical companies and insurers. Their practices have drawn bipartisan scrutiny due to concerns about rising drug costs. While some, like Senator Bernie Sanders, advocate for increased regulation of PBMs, CCAGW contends that such restrictions would burden patients and increase taxpayer expenses. The group also points out that they have received funding from organizations like the Bradley Foundation, ExxonMobil, and Johnson & Johnson.
CCAGW has released an advertisement directly linking the targeted GOP senators' support for PBM reform to Senator Sanders, a prominent advocate for public healthcare. The ad urges voters to contact their senators and oppose what they describe as Sanders' "radical health care takeover." The ad frames PBM reform as a detrimental move that would increase drug costs and threaten private health insurance.
Senator Sanders' proposed bill aims to increase transparency in PBM pricing and prohibit practices that inflate drug costs. Supporters of PBMs argue that these measures would limit their ability to negotiate discounts. The legislation is expected to be part of a broader healthcare package considered by the Senate this month.
Despite the CCAGW campaign, PBM reform enjoys bipartisan support. Senator Hawley, one of the targeted Republicans, has previously criticized the current prescription drug market, arguing that it favors large pharmaceutical and insurance companies at the expense of patients. Senator Tuberville has also expressed concerns about PBMs, stating that they rarely pass negotiated savings on to consumers.
