密苏里州立法者推动法案让病人选择药店, 并限制PBMs的权力, Missouri lawmakers push bill to let patients choose pharmacies and limit PBMs' power amid rising closures.

密苏里州立法者正在提出一项法案,让病人选择自己的药房,并限制药剂福利管理者的权力。 批评者说,该法案通过规定低报销率,使小药房失去营业能力。 Missouri lawmakers are advancing a bill that would let patients choose their pharmacy and limit the power of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which critics say drive small pharmacies out of business by setting low reimbursement rates. 该立法由本尼·库克共和国提出,旨在打击药店日益关闭和“药品沙漠”,尤其影响到老年人和退伍军人。 Introduced by Rep. Bennie Cook, the legislation aims to combat rising pharmacy closures and "pharmacy deserts," especially affecting seniors and veterans. 也拥有CVS和Express脚本等主要链条的PBM公司被指控高涨药品价格。 联邦贸易委员会数据显示,前三个PBM公司捐助了超过73亿美元的膨胀费用。 PBMs, which also own major chains like CVS and Express Scripts, are accused of inflating drug prices—Federal Trade Commission data shows the top three PBMs contributed to over $7.3 billion in inflated costs. 该法案力求促进公平竞争,但行业团体警告监管可能会减少获得护理的机会。 The bill seeks to promote fair competition, but industry groups warn regulation could reduce access to care. 类似的努力在联邦一级都失败了,但州一级的行动正在获得牵引力。 Similar efforts have failed federally, but state-level action is gaining traction.