POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofPharmacy Benefits →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HB 1975MISSOURISession 2026State Billin committee
High Impact

Missouri House Bill 1975 Regulates Pharmacy Benefits Managers' Reimbursement Rates and Contracting Practices

Original title: PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS

Last action · March 12, 2026: HCS Reported Do Pass (H)Sponsors: Bennie Cook and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

House Bill 1975 prohibits s from reimbursing Missouri pharmacies below the , restricts discriminatory network penalty practices, and establishes mandatory appeal processes for pricing disputes.

Why it matters

Local pharmacies are guaranteed minimum reimbursement thresholds for prescription drugs and dispensing fees tied to state health program standards, while health plan members retain freedom of choice in selecting participating pharmacies without financial penalties imposed by intermediaries.

Background
  • Pharmacy benefits managers act as intermediaries between health insurance plans and pharmaceutical manufacturers, administering prescription drug programs and negotiating pricing. context
  • House Bill 1975 was introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives during the 2026 Regular Session by Representative Bennie Cook. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Pharmacies located in Missouri

Pharmacies are guaranteed minimum reimbursement floors equal to the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost, gain the right to appeal pricing disputes within 14 days, and receive standardized dispensing fees.

Directly affected

Pharmacy benefits managers

Pharmacy benefits managers face strict operational restrictions on reimbursement rates, mandatory seven-day pricing updates, parity payment requirements with affiliates, and prohibitions against restricting consumer pharmacy choice.

Directly affected

Covered persons

Health plan members are protected from monetary penalties or limitations when selecting a pharmacy or pharmacist of their choice.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a pharmacy benefits manager penalize patients for choosing a specific local pharmacy?
No. The bill explicitly prohibits s from imposing monetary advantages or penalties—such as co-payment variations, reduced reimbursements, or mail-order comparisons—that would affect a covered person's choice of pharmacy or pharmacist.
How often must pharmacy benefits managers update their maximum allowable cost pricing lists?
s must update pricing information and maintain procedures to modify or eliminate products from lists at least every seven days to reflect market pricing changes.
What is the timeline for a pharmacy to appeal a reimbursement dispute?
Pharmacies have up to 14 calendar days following the reimbursement of the initial claim to file an internal appeal regarding or pricing.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

8 actions
  1. Mar 12, 2026HouseCommittee
    HCS Reported Do Pass (H)
  2. Mar 12, 2026HouseCommittee
    HCS Voted Do Pass (H)
  3. Mar 12, 2026House
    Executive Session Completed (H)
  4. Feb 12, 2026House
    Public Hearing Completed (H)
  5. Jan 22, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Health and Mental Health(H)
  6. Jan 8, 2026HouseFloor
    Read Second Time (H)
Show 2 earlier actions
  1. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read First Time (H)
  2. Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Prefiled (H)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Bennie CookHouse · District 143RepublicanSponsor
Sherri GallickHouse · District 62RepublicanCosponsor
Carolyn CatonHouse · District 33RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Mandatory Pricing Parity for Affiliates

The bill shifts state oversight by requiring pharmacy benefits managers to reimburse any independent Missouri pharmacy at the exact same rate they pay their own wholly or partially owned affiliates for the same drug.

General Assembly

Connected Entities

General Assembly, Bennie Cook, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and 2 more
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Legislative body enacting the bill”Map →
PersonBennie Cook“Representative for District 143, introduced House Bill 1975”Map →
OrganizationCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services“Federal agency conducting the monthly retail pharmacy survey for the National Av”Map →
PersonSherri Gallick“Cosponsor for District 062”Map →
PersonCarolyn Caton“Cosponsor for District 033”Map →

Sources

Open source document

house.mo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy65
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record