Highlights Pbm Transparency Tender

Click to Watch the Hearing on YouTube.
Click to Download the Hearing on Box.
WASHINGTON DC -- US Senator James Lankford (R-OK) a member of the Senate Finance Committee today highlighted the need for greater transparency from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and raised concerns about the Biden administrations manipulation of safety data surrounding mifepristone during a hearing with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The hearing comes the same week Lankford ledhis colleagues in a formal comment letter supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposal to rescind the Biden administrations unlawful abortion mandate at VA facilities.
Yesterday Senators Lankford and Hyde-Smith (R-MS) led a group of colleagues in submitting a formal comment letter to Secretary Collins supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed rule to rescind the Biden administrations unlawful abortion mandate at VA facilities. They were joined by SenatorsJimRisch (R-ID) John Cornyn (R-TX) Ted Budd (R-NC) Tim Sheehy (R-MT) Roger Wicker (R-MS) Kevin Cramer (R-ND) Steve Daines (R-MT) Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN).
You can read the full letter and more .
Excerpts:
On PBMs:
Lankford: ...During the confirmation process it was interesting when you and I met in my office you said every single senator brought up PBMs to you and you made th[at] statement during the confirmation process: This is an area that President Trump wants to take on is the Pharmacy Benefit Managers. This is unfinished business in this committee but I wanted to just know what is HHS doing at this point on the PBM issue in particular to make sure were not driving out rural pharmacies and what we could do to be able to make sure thats fair?
Kennedy: ...Weve met with the PBMs and we are in talks with them. Were also in MFN talks with the pharmaceutical companies who are also very interested in reducing the cut and getting transparency among the PBMs. And the PBMs have committed to us to transparency to some protocol that will guarantee transparency and the part of the MFN negotiations would include direct-to-consumer marketing which would eliminate the middleman. So I think were doing a lot on PBMs.
On Mifepristone:
Lankford: There were a lot of changes on the allocation of Mifepristone for elective abortions under the Biden administration. Its now open to anyone without a prescription on it. You dont have to go through a doctor on it. Theres all kinds of issues that are happening now on it. So the question was you said that there would be a review on that just to be able to look at it and make sure were following all safety protocols. Do you know what timing on that review?
Kennedy: ...Were getting data in all the time new data that were reviewing and we know that during the Biden administration they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals with a very high safety signal around 11%. So were going to make sure that that doesnt happen anymore. Were producing on science and gold standard science on that. Ill keep you abreast of where we are.
Background
Lankford remains the leading pro-life voice in the Senate standing firm in defense of life following the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization to return decisions about abortions to the peoples elected representatives. Every year Lankford to share his full and unwavering support for life in our nation and to ask his fellow Senators a simple question: when does life begin?
In 2024 Lankford in filing an amicus brief in a case before the US Supreme Court challenging the FDAs deregulation of chemical abortion drugs including allowing mail-order distribution without doctor oversight.
Lankford for PBM reforms that would increase transparency ensure pharmacists are treated fairly and ensure patients are able to benefit from low-cost prescription drugs. Lankford introduced the in 2023 to hold PBMs accountable for artificially high prescription drug prices and their practices that harm locally-owned pharmacies. He also introduced two vitally important bills to tackle the biggest drivers of the high cost of prescription drugs particularly for senior adults on Medicare: the and the .
###