In a huge victory for patients and pharmacists, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed two PBM anti-steering bills into law yesterday. HB 233 is a bill that prohibits pharmacies from profiting off of prescriptions “steered” from their PBM and insurance affiliates, and HB 323 restricts PBM and insurer patient “steering,” strengthens anti-mandatory mail order, adds additional audit protections, prohibits PBMs from knowingly misleading patients, and restricts mining of patient data. These bills are the first in the nation of their kind to become law. Congratulations to the Georgia Pharmacy Association and all the Georgia pharmacists who worked hard to get these bills passed.
Filed under: General Problems
Well, hurray for Gawja. I have very bad feelings about that state, b/c that’s where my mother died in unspeakable agony b/c they refused her ANY pain meds even as she was clearly dying from leukemia. Maybe they’ve grown brains in that state since then.
But seriously, this is truly good news. Now, where the heck are the folks with brains in other states? I know those commodities are nearly unknown in Oregon –at least among those in charge of health policy. Maybe the pharmacists are better…they gotta be, actually.