House GOP removes PBM reform from government funding bill

WASHINGTON — House Republicans have abandoned their attempt to include pharmacy benefit administrator reforms in a year-end bill to fund the federal government.

Congressional leaders had reached a deal earlier this week to rein in prescription drug middlemen, but the larger package it was linked to fell apart after opposition from conservatives and top advisers to President-elect Trump. Instead, lawmakers plan to create a three-month government financing bill with extensions for basic public health programs and telehealth flexibility ahead of a Friday deadline. On Thursday night, the Trump-backed plan failed to pass the House, and Republican leaders decided to take a different path.

The reversal, after congressional leaders announced an agreement on the PPE legislation on Tuesday, means that a slew of legislation passed by multiple committees this Congress will not become law. In addition to the PBM reforms, Republican lawmakers also passed drug patent reforms, hospital billing transparency, Medicare bonuses for doctors and reauthorization of laws passed to address the opioid crisis and stem pandemics. to prevent the end-of-year law, has been scaled back.