The U.S. House Committee on Oversight will play a pivotal role in an upcoming hearing focused on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The hearing is scheduled to take place on July 23 with the three largest PBMs testifying before Congress.

With Alabama U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer sitting (R-Hoover) on the committee, the hearing is being closely watched by Alabama employers that want to offer their employees cost-effective prescription drug benefits. 

As highlighted in a recent video featuring Eric Hare, CEO of Global K9 Protection Group, Alabama employers are expressing their opposition to government interference in our health care system that would increase costs for employers, taxpayers, and consumers. 

Hare and other major employers based in the state argue that their ability to offer quality, competitive prescription drug coverage is under threat as Congress continues to consider government mandates targeting the savings PBMs secure for employers, and the options available to employers to manage and reduce prescription drug costs. 

“In a world without PBMs, where companies would have to have HR departments that understood how to negotiate or really have the leverage to negotiate against pharmaceutical companies. I don’t think it’s possible a 600, employee 1,000 employee business would have no leverage and competing against the Giants,” Hare said.

“Politicians need to understand how important it is that the PBM can work with business owners to continue to provide benefits to American workers, benefits that they feel proud about, that they go out and work for.”

During the upcoming committee hearing, it is expected that large pharmaceutical companies will seek to shift blame for high prescription drug prices onto PBMs.

But Alabama employers are fighting back against pharma-backed proposals that would block, or “delink,” pharmacy benefit companies from market-based incentives to maximize savings for plan sponsors, like employers, and could potentially impose disastrous costs on Alabama businesses while giving Big Pharma a fresh financial windfall.

Analyses show the enactment of this proposal in the Medicare Part D program and commercial health care market would increase prescription drug costs by nearly $40 billion each year and generate $32 billion in additional profits for Big Pharma.

Employers have also expressed concern with so-called “transparency requirements,” which would result in the public disclosure of proprietary information. Employers claim that these requirements just help drug companies collude to undermine competition and boost their own profits and would do nothing to lower costs for health plan sponsors.

During the upcoming hearing, Congressman Palmer and his colleagues will be faced with the opportunity to safeguard pharmacy benefits, and support competition and the free market. Alabama employers that rely on PBM’s to stay competitive are working hard to sound the alarm.

The Blount County and Macon County Sheriff’s Departments have been awarded the Larry Amerson School Safety Scholarship, Global K9 Protection Group announced. The scholarship is named for late Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, who died in 2020 after a battle with cancer.

The Paws on Patrol School Safety Program was created to boost public and school safety initiatives. It comes with elite canines as well as training and certifications for two School Resource Officers.

State Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston) addressed the group to express his thanks for Paws on Patrol helping school systems in Alabama become safer. 

“A lot of times you don’t get to see the impact of having a deterrent, such as a firearms detection dog,” he said. “We hope these dogs can stop a possible attack before it happens.”

Lisa Amerson, widow of the long-time sheriff and member of the Calhoun County School Board said, “I think it’s an honor to have Larry’s name associated with this scholarship. He created the SRO program for the Calhoun County School District.”

At the awards luncheon in Anniston, Michael Larkin, vice president of Commercial Services for GK9PG, discussed the initiative. 

“GK9PG’s Paws on Patrol School Safety Program is the first in the country to bring together both public and private sector agencies to address gun violence in our schools,” Larkin said.

“Our mission is all about training world-class detection dogs that offer a level of safety and security for every community, which we accomplish by advancing the art and science of detection dog capabilities with our specialized, elite dog training methodology.”

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270