Access to prescription drugs often determines whether people can stay healthy and independent. For years, patients had little insight into why prices kept rising or why access to certain medications suddenly changed. That’s why the passage of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform is an important and long-overdue step forward.
PBMs sit between patients, pharmacies, and insurers, influencing nearly every part of the prescription process. When decisions are made without transparency, patients pay more while PBMs continue to profit from a system few people could understand, and even fewer could challenge.
I’m grateful that Senator Cassidy, Speaker Johnson, Representative Scalise, and Representative Letlow took these concerns seriously and delivered PBM reform. For families across Louisiana who rely on daily medications to manage chronic conditions, their decisive action represents a meaningful shift toward accountability where it has long been missing.
Just as importantly, lawmakers chose to focus on reforms that address the real problem instead of proposals like Most Favored Nation pricing, which could leave patients even worse off.
With PBM reform now passed, patients can finally begin to see greater transparency and fairness at the pharmacy counter. I thank Congress for staying focused, following through, and putting patients first when it mattered most.
Ben Orlando
