Employers and Plan Sponsors Speak: Protect Our Pharmacy Benefit Tools
Clients and benefits experts voice their concerns with pharmacy benefit legislative proposals
Evernorth Health Services hosted a client gathering for hundreds of health benefit experts representing employers, labor unions, government agencies, and health plans who choose to partner with us to manage their pharmacy benefits. During the event, clients gathered to learn about and share their opinions on current federal legislative proposals related to pharmacy benefits. The message from more than 200 experts collectively representing 60 million patients was clear – protect the tools we use to administer our pharmacy benefits.
Pharmacy benefits are a hot topic in Congress, and it’s sometimes lost in the debate that legislative proposals directly impact the purchasers of health benefits: American businesses of all sizes, unions, health plans, and other payers. Here’s what these health benefit experts want policymakers to know:*
Are changes to ERISA a concern for you?
Proposals to change the ERISA law could have negative consequences and the views of individual plan sponsors are paramount in any debate.
How concerned are you about patient point-of-sale rebate mandates?
I believe Congress should mandate patient point-of-sale rebates in pharmacy plans.
How important is it for Congress to address the FDA’s request to remove the biosimilar interchangeability designation?
How concerned are you about Congress mandating your benefit choices by banning preferred mail order, preferred specialty pharmacy, and/or spread pricing?
I believe Congress should ban specific pharmacy benefit design options like preferred mail order, preferred specialty, and spread pricing.
The health care market is dynamic and evolving. It should be up to employers and plan sponsors to develop affordable benefits that provide access to medication for their employees members.
*Survey conducted with 223 participants during Evernorth client meetings on May 8 and 9, 2024.