118th Congress Health
S. 1339: Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act
Reported
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill establishes various requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with respect to services provided to health insurance plans.
First, PBMs must report annually to the plan sponsor certain information about the PBM's services, including the amount of prescription drug copayment assistance funded by drug manufacturers, a list of covered drugs billed under the plan during the reporting period, and the total net spending by the health plan on prescription drugs. PBMs also must provide plan sponsors with a supplementary report every six months with specified information about drugs that were dispensed under the plan by pharmacies that are wholly or partially owned by the PBM.
Second, the bill prohibits spread pricing. Under the bill, spread pricing occurs when a PBM charges an insurance plan (or an insurance plan charges plan participants) a price for a prescription drug that exceeds the price paid to the pharmacy for the drug.
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Finally, PBMs must remit to the plan sponsor all rebates, fees, alternative discounts, and other remuneration received from a drug manufacturer.
The bill establishes civil penalties for violations of these requirements and provides funding for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Labor to implement the provisions of this bill.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Bill Cassidy R-LAOriginal
- Patty Murray D-WAOriginal
- Roger Marshall R-KSOriginal
- Mike Braun R-IN
Who scored on this bill
- 1Bernard Sanders SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reported3 events+26
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Bernard Sanders
History
- Introduced in the Senate by Bernard Sanders.
Show the full action history (5 actions)
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Sanders with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 113.
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.


