Could Bipartisan Momentum Finally Lower Drug Prices? Lawmakers Take Aim at PBMs

By Billy Briefman · October 5, 2026 · 2 min read read

Republicans and Democrats Target Pharmacy Benefit Managers Originally reported by NPR News. NPR News Republican and Democratic lawmakers are uniting to regulate pharmacy benefit managers as states...

Republicans and Democrats Target Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Originally reported by NPR News. NPR News

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are uniting to regulate pharmacy benefit managers as states like Tennessee and Arkansas implement new rules to control rising prescription drug prices.

Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, act as intermediaries between insurance providers, drug manufacturers, and pharmacies. While these companies say they negotiate lower prices for consumers, legislators across the political spectrum argue that PBM practices often inflate costs and squeeze independent pharmacies out of the market, according to NPR News.

State-Level Crackdowns on PBM Practices

Tennessee and Arkansas have emerged as leaders in the effort to curb PBM influence through legislative action. These states passed laws requiring more transparency in how PBMs operate and how they reimburse local pharmacies for dispensed medications. According to NPR News, these regulations aim to prevent "spread pricing," a practice where PBMs charge insurance plans more for a drug than they pay the pharmacy, pocketing the difference.

The push for reform follows years of complaints from independent pharmacy owners who say PBMs favor large retail chains and mail-order services that the PBMs often own. Lawmakers in both parties now view PBM oversight as a rare area of consensus in the otherwise polarized debate over healthcare costs.

Federal Scrutiny and Future Legislation

The momentum at the state level fuels discussions in Washington, D.C., where federal lawmakers consider similar bipartisan measures. According to NPR News, the Federal Trade Commission also intensified its investigation into the industry to determine if PBMs engage in anticompetitive behavior that harms patients and small businesses.

Advocates for the new regulations argue that without significant changes, local pharmacies will continue to close, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare is already limited. Lawmakers expect to introduce further legislation in the coming months to mandate clearer reporting on rebates and fees collected by these middleman firms.

This article is based on reporting originally published by NPR News. Channel RVA provides this coverage with additional local context for the Richmond community.