{
  "id": 10408153,
  "title": "Republicans and Democrats Find a Unifying Target: Pharmacy Benefit Managers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/republicans-and-democrats-find-a-unifying-target-pharmacy-benefit",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-28T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KFF Health News",
    "slug": "kff-health-news",
    "url": "https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/pharmacy-benefit-managers-pbms-drug-costs-common-ground-tennessee/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In recent years, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), once seen as a way to manage prescriptions and lower costs, have become a unified target for both Republicans and Democrats in America's political landscape. This shift in focus comes as Americans grapple with rising healthcare costs and increasing frustration over the system. Amye Joseph, a Republican and her Democrat husband Charlie, have both expressed their disdain for CVS Health, a conglomerate that owns not only one of the country's largest retail pharmacy chains but also a major health insurer and a PBM. The Josephs' frustration stems from issues such as lack of face-to-face interaction with pharmacists, price increases that seem unexplained, and pressure to use CVS stores instead of their local pharmacy. PBMs were initially established to negotiate drug prices between drugmakers and insurance companies, but they have since become controversial targets of bipartisan anger. Critics argue that PBMs often profit at the expense of employers, governments, and patients. Despite the ongoing healthcare debates in Washington, D.C., taking on PBMs has become a unifying cause as states across the nation impose restrictions on PBMs. Tennessee, which has a Republican-led government, is among the states considering a ban on companies that own PBMs from also owning brick-and-mortar pharmacies. This push reflects a growing belief that the market for prescription drugs is being gamed, with Republicans recognizing that competition is not working as intended.",
  "summary": "Some states have considered barring companies that own a PBM from also owning brick-and-mortar pharmacies, as CVS does. Two states have followed through. A similar proposal at the federal level has gained prominent sponsors, aligning conservative, business-friendly Republicans with Democrats traditionally more open to government regulation.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}