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HR7535FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE

Proposed Study on Prescription Drug Pricing and Fees

Original title: Prescription Drug Supply Chain Pricing Transparency Act

December 17, 2024

healthcareprescription drugstransparencygovernment oversightpharmacy benefit managers

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

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

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 →

The Frame

What this does

This study could lead to future regulations or legislative changes regarding how intermediaries in the drug supply chain are compensated, potentially impacting the costs of prescription drugs for patients and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Pharmacy benefit managers

Their business models and compensation structures are subject to the required study and reporting.

Part D plan sponsors

Their compensation structures and contracts with intermediaries are subject to the required study.

Drug wholesalers

Their payment structures and business models are subject to the required study.

Pharmacies

Their role and compensation within the supply chain are subject to the required study.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

  • The Comptroller General is the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan agency that provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for the United States Congress. context
  • Medicare Part D is a federal program that subsidizes the costs of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. context

Summary

This bill directs the Comptroller General to investigate how companies in the prescription drug supply chain—such as pharmacy benefit managers and wholesalers—are paid and how those payment structures relate to drug prices. The findings and recommendations from this study must be submitted to Congress within two years of the bill becoming law.

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.

Why It Matters

This study could lead to future regulations or legislative changes regarding how intermediaries in the drug supply chain are compensated, potentially impacting the costs of prescription drugs for patients and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of this bill?
The goal is to increase transparency by having the Comptroller General study how different companies in the drug supply chain are paid and whether those payment methods influence drug prices.
Who will be studied?
The study will cover pharmacy benefit managers, , drug wholesalers, pharmacies, manufacturers, and various consultants or brokers involved in the supply chain.
When will the results be available?
The Comptroller General is required to submit a report to Congress no later than two years after the bill is enacted.

News Coverage

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

Sponsors

Discoveries

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

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Intermediary Transparency

The bill explicitly targets the 'middlemen' of the drug supply chain, signaling a legislative interest in how non-manufacturer entities influence final drug costs.

pharmacy benefit managersdrug wholesalers

Connected Entities

organizationBrokers, auditors, consultants“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
organizationPharmacy Services Administrative Organizations“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
personMs. Caraveo“Representative introducing the bill”Map →
organizationManufacturers“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
otherSocial Security Act“The law being amended”Map →
personMr. Mann“Co-sponsor of the bill”Map →
organizationDrug Wholesalers“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
organizationPart D Plan Sponsors“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
organizationComptroller General of the United States“The federal official tasked with conducting the study”Map →
organizationU.S. Government Publishing Office“Source of the document”Map →
organizationPharmacy Benefit Managers“Key intermediaries studied”Map →
organizationRebate Aggregators“Key intermediaries studied”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy30
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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