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Cuban and Trump Jr. Unite in Blaming PBMs for Soaring Drug Costs

Their public agreement underscores growing bipartisan support for reforms to curb middlemen’s grip on prescription prices.

Overview

  • On X, Donald Trump Jr. endorsed Mark Cuban’s assertion that pharmacy benefit managers corrupt healthcare and drive up drug costs.
  • Cuban noted that three major PBMs negotiate over 90% of commercial plan rebates and manipulate formularies to boost their revenue.
  • He called for separating formulary control from PBMs and forcing Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to buy lower-priced drugs from any provider.
  • Arkansas enacted a law barring PBMs from owning or controlling pharmacies after an FTC report criticized their unfair terms imposed on independent pharmacies.
  • Federal lawmakers are drafting budget reconciliation provisions to regulate spread pricing and increase transparency in PBM operations.