ATAP Sends a Letter to Senator Eric Burlison Asking for Support of Missouri HB 834 and Its Companion Bill SB 403

The Honorable Eric Burlison

201 W Capitol Ave., Rm. 221 Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

RE:MO HB 834 and SB 403 – Pharmacy Benefit Managers Reporting/Transparency

Dear Senator Burlison:

We are saddened and dismayed to learn of your recent stance regarding Missouri HB 834. We are painfully aware of a planned filibuster to MO HB 834 and its companion bill SB 403.

As you may be aware, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are third-party entities that are hired by insurers and health plan sponsors to manage and administer prescription drug benefit plans.

We are very concerned about the role PBMs play regarding the alarming price increases in the total cost and out of pocket costs of prescription drugs for patients, resulting in the loss of patient access to affordable and life-saving medications.

HB 834 will help remedy many of these practices by:

· Ensuring oversight of PBMs by the Dir. of the MO Dept of Commerce and Insurance;

· Allowing for penalties for violations of this statute;

· Providing for reporting of rebates received by PBMs, including – where the rebates are being applied, and reporting of yearly aggregated rebate dollar amounts received; and

· Providing for freedom of choice for patients to choose their pharmacy

As you may know, the Trump administration proposed a rule through Health and Human Services (HHS), that would have eliminated the safe harbor that protects PBM rebates from the federal anti-kickback statute. This awesome proposal would have effectively eliminated the PBM rebate system.

Regrettably, the new administration withdrew this essential patient protection. States can play a central role to ensure that patients are still protected from abusive PBM practices.

We ask that you help ensure that our patients and your constituents have affordable access to the medications which they so desperately need, by supporting MO HB 834 and its companion bill SB 403.

Sincerely,

The Alliance for Transparent and Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP) Member Organization