Frier Levitt co-founding partner Jonathan Levitt has been featured in an Oncology News Central article, “What Community Oncologists Should Know About “Bellwether” for PBM Reform.” The piece discusses recent PBM reform at the state level, focusing on three laws in Arkansas that could drive broader change in the future.
Jonathan shares some background in the article, stating, “In Arkansas, pharmacies and specialty pharmacies went to the governor, and [said], ‘Listen, the idea that PBMs can own a specialty pharmacy and steer prescriptions to that specialty pharmacy and pay us below market and [spread price] on these commercial employers, it’s killing us, and we can’t stay in business.”
Concerns like these led to legislation aimed at addressing unfair PBM practices. The article explains, “On April 16, 2025, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Arkansas Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure Act, which prohibits a PBM from owning a pharmacy. Specifically, it also requires PBMs to be licensed to do business in Arkansas and bans the practice of spread pricing for commercial plans, where PBMs charge the insurance plans more than they paid the pharmacy for a drug and pocket the difference.” This new legislation builds upon and enhances two earlier Arkansas laws enacted in 2015 and 2018. Together, these laws increase transparency requirements for PBMs and prohibit them from reimbursing their own pharmacies at higher rates than others or paying below wholesale cost for generic drugs.
Read the article here: https://www.oncologynewscentral.com/oncology/what-community-oncologists-should-know-about-bellwether-for-pbm-reform
