A Drugmaker’s Tale: How $34 Billion in Rebates Is Keeping Commercial Insurers and PBMs Flush with Cash While Hanging Everyone Else Out to Dry

Do you wonder why medications are so expensive in America?  It seems to have our government scratching their heads although pharmacists for years have told them that there is a middleman, known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers or PBMs, in the equation and they are profiting off of the taxpayers in the billions.  There are three that dominate the industry and you might recognize their names.  CVS Caremark (Aetna), United Health (OptumRx) and Express Scripts.  Yet, our government does not listen to us as local pharmacy after local pharmacy goes out of business.  Well, now other entities are starting to come forward shining a little light on the non-transparent ways of the PBMs.

This article that summarizes what one drug manufacturer gives back to these companies.  That’s great but they are pocketing the money when it should go back to the consumer.

https://www.truthrx.org/puttblog/a-drugmaker%E2%80%99s-tale%3A-how-%2434-billion-in-rebates-is-keeping-commercial-insurers-and-pbms-flush-with-cash-while-hanging-everyone-else-out-to-dry

If you want to get a little more in depth, here is the actual report straight from Janssen, the drug manufacturer.

https://transparencyreport.janssen.com/_document/the-2021-janssen-u-s-transparency-report?id=00000180-0108-dccf-a981-a52ec8300000