
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) (Drew Angerer/Pool via AP Images)
Senate begins quest to demystify PBMs' practices as it mulls legislation
The Senate Commerce Committee today held a hearing in which members on both sides of the aisle raised questions about the practices of pharmaceutical middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.
Several senators questioned the role PBMs have played in causing independent pharmacies to close. The role of the companies has come under increasing scrutiny amid consolidation in the healthcare services industry. The top three PBMs control 80% of the market, and are owned by health insurers Cigna and UnitedHealth and by the drugstore giant CVS Health.
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