Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
The House Oversight Committee found some bipartisan consensus on overhauling PBM payments Tuesday, advancing a measure that would use a flat fee instead of pegging payments to a percentage of a drug's cost.
Why it matters: The DRUG Act, which we wrote about in the fall, aims to remove an incentive for PBMs to favor drugs with high list prices.
- But the Oversight Committee considered only the provisions within its jurisdiction covering the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
- Beyond overhauling payments, there are provisions that prohibit steering patients to pharmacies that are owned by PBMs and ban spread pricing.
Between the lines: The bill was approved 29–11.
- Reps. Eric Burlison and Paul Gosar were the only GOP "no" votes, arguing that delinking was not the way to reduce drug price costs.
- Nine Democrats voted against the bill, including Ranking Member Jamie Raskin.
Of note: Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx supported the bill but expressed concern about having the federal government interfere in businesses' compensation for services. She also wants a CBO score on the legislation.
