Dear editor,

Like millions of Americans, I take daily prescription medications —in my case, to help treat a heart condition. Unfortunately, that means I’ve had to deal with some of the harmful policies and practices Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) use to cut costs and boost profits while undermining access and increasing out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

That makes it all the more frustrating that Congress has not been able to pass legislation to reform the negative impact that PBMs have on patient access. Patients who rely on prescription medications need lawmakers to pass a legislative solution to this growing problem as soon as possible.

From pharmacy steering to step therapy to prior authorization, PBM practices create barriers for patients that delay access to the doctor-prescribed medications and treatments they need to stay healthy. Moreover, these insurer-owned groups will even go so far as to withhold valuable prescription drug rebates and discounts to inflate their profit margins rather than passing those savings down to patients to help them reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.

For an issue as clearly as bipartisan as this one, I was disappointed that Congress couldn’t manage to pass bipartisan legislation like the Delinking Revenue from Unfair Gouging (DRUG) Act last year. Hopefully, Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, along with Speaker Johnson, will continue working with their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help make PBM reform a reality as soon as possible.

Don Willard