Last week, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra appeared before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to provide testimony on the FY 2024 Funding Request and Budget Justification of the Department of Health and Human Services.
See what Secretary Becerra had to say about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their “clever” tactics in this 45-second clip from the March 22 hearing:
Did you catch this quote from the clip?
“I think we know that there are some folks who are very clever and creative in how they do this work. Middlemen have always skimmed money off the top, and it is a matter of how we can try to keep the resources where they are most needed: with consumers, not with middlemen.” — Secretary Becerra
Becerra’s comment came in response to a question from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).
NACDS continues to urge Congress to deliver on the bipartisan support for PBM reform and direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fee reform — consistent with NACDS’ Principles of PBM Reform.
Next up: The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance will hold tomorrow a full committee hearing on PBMs’ impact on patients and the broader healthcare system.
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