PBMs

We, the undersigned 105 organizations, on behalf of millions of patients and Americans who live with complex conditions such as HIV, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, lupus, hemophilia, mental illness, and hepatitis write in response to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) request for public comment on the impact of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices on consumers.  Specifically, we offer comments on how PBMs impact the health and well-being of patients who receive their health coverage through the private insurance market.  While most people think insurers make the majority of decisions regarding health coverage and affordability, when it comes to prescription drugs, it is the PBMs that drive much of the decisions as to what medications a beneficiary can access and how much they pay for them.  We commend the FTC for its leadership to investigate the impact that PBM practices have on the patient communities we serve and believe this represents a critical step forward to improving patient access and affordability to necessary medications.