As Congress ramps up efforts to rein in the power of pharmacy benefits managers as a way to address the rising cost of prescription drugs, a rift has emerged between some House Republicans who say lawmakers should focus on more pressing issues, such as the looming government shutdown.
Three House committees introduced joint bipartisan bills last week seeking to increase transparency from PBMs in an effort to lower healthcare costs, building on similar legislation making its way through the Senate. The legislation would require hospitals and insurance companies to provide information about healthcare costs and disclose the negotiated provisions that led to that agreement.
TRUMP SAYS BIDEN IS NOT 'TOO OLD' FOR 2024 REELECTION BUT IS 'GROSSLY INCOMPETENT'
“Our bipartisan legislation meets this moment by giving patients what they are rightfully demanding: The ability to get the right care, at the right time, at a price they know and can afford,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) said in a statement. "It will lower costs by giving patients the healthcare price information they need to make the decisions that are best for them and their families — something 95% of Americans support.”
The effort is being led by the Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and the Education and the Workforce committees.
However, the proposals are not being met with approval from all in the House GOP, as some rank-and-file Republicans have expressed frustration with GOP leaders advancing legislation they say is largely influenced by Democrats.
“We’ve paid Big Pharma enough money for COVID vaccines. Republicans should be focused on cutting spending, especially with the DOJ’s weaponization against President Trump, and launching an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden’s corruption,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told the Washington Examiner. “We don’t have time to push Big Pharma and Dr. Fauci’s priorities.”
Some GOP aides have also expressed concerns that the bills are being supported and even funded by big pharmaceutical companies, with several conservatives arguing bills that target PBMs would only raise drug prices and benefit large pharmaceutical companies.
“House Republicans should not be doing the bidding of Big Pharma this period,” a senior House GOP aide said. “They need to focus on investigating Biden and cutting spending.”
Advancing such legislation could also hurt the chances of Republicans in the upcoming election cycle, others argued, with at least one GOP Senate campaign staffer pointing to internal polling that showed candidates taking on Big Pharma was a top issue for voters heading into 2024.
“Not a single Republican voter is asking the House to pass a PBM bill,” the staffer said. “This is driven by pharma lobbyists, it’s bad politics and policy, and it will hurt us next fall.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
It’s not yet clear when the House will move to advance the PBM legislation to the floor as lawmakers are currently turning their focus to their annual appropriations bills that must be passed by Congress by the end of the month in order to avoid a government shutdown.
However, the issue of PBMs and drug price transparency is expected to become a major issue on the campaign trail as recent polling shows voters trust Democrats more than the GOP to lower costs.