WASHINGTON, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ —
A new ad campaign warns Mississippi legislators that SB 2445
would increase health care costs by granting the State Board of
Pharmacy (instead of the State Insurance Commissioner) authority to
regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). This power
transfer would create a conflict of interest since the Board
members are pharmacists — a group which contracts with PBMs and
could financially benefit from the policies they set, the
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) said today.
“Letting pharmacists regulate those who negotiate their payments
is a conflict of interest and will increase health care costs for
consumers and employers,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark
Merritt. “This ad campaign should give Mississippi
legislators second thoughts about passing a law that lets the ‘fox
guard the henhouse’ and in turn undermines health care cost savings
for consumers and employers.”
PCMA represents the nation’s PBMs, which improve affordability
and quality of care through the use of electronic prescribing
(e-prescribing), generic alternatives, mail-service pharmacies, and
other innovative tools for 210-plus million Americans. They
also play a major role in administering the Medicare Part D drug
benefit — a rare public program that routinely comes in under
budget and is highly popular with seniors. PBMs typically
reduce drug costs by about 25 percent.
Click
here to view the ad.
PCMA represents the nation’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs),
which improve affordability and quality of care through the use of
electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), generic alternatives,
mail-service pharmacies, and other innovative tools for 200-plus
million Americans.
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