In a report, the regulator sharply criticized pharmacy benefit managers, a reversal from its longstanding hands-off approach to policing the companies.

  • snooggums@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    35
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    There is a level of value being added when the middlepeople handle transportation, logistics, ensure availability, etc. It isn’t only buying and selling in a vacuum like the stock market.

    That said, a lot of them take far more value than they add, which is a problem.

    • SeaJ@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      6 months ago

      Agreed for most cases. But for the medical industry, pharmacy benefit managers, which are largely owned by the insurance companies, do nothing but drive up the price because they are acting more like a monopsony. So it’s a case of the insurance companies often getting paid two (if they own the pharmacy benefit manager) or three times (if they own the clinic) and adding an extra cost each step of the way.