AMAC Supports Bill to Lower Drug Costs Through PBM Transparency

This bill ensures that PBMs can no longer manipulate pricing, prioritize profits over patients, or exploit loopholes that drive up costs.

February 6, 2025

The Honorable Chuck Grassley
United States Senator for Iowa
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Maria Cantwell
United States Senator for Washington
511 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senators Grassley and Cantwell,

On behalf of AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of AMAC – the Association of Mature American Citizens, and our more than 2 million members, I write in strong support of the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Transparency Act of 2025. Your bipartisan leadership on this issue is critical to ensuring greater accountability and transparency in the operations of pharmacy benefit managers, which will help drive down prescription drug costs for seniors.

AMAC’s members, many of whom are on fixed incomes, are deeply affected by the rising costs of prescription medications. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 75% of Americans aged 50-64 and nearly 90% of those over 65 report taking prescription medications. For these seniors, unfair PBM practices directly impact affordability and access to life-saving drugs.

PBMs were originally intended to reduce drug costs and negotiate better prices for patients, but over time, their unchecked business practices have done the opposite. Spread pricing, clawbacks on independent pharmacies, and steering patients toward higher-cost drugs have increased costs instead of reducing them. PBMs are pocketing savings instead of passing them on to consumers, and seniors are paying the price.

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2025 would prevent anti-competitive practices and require PBMs to operate with full transparency. This bill ensures that PBMs can no longer manipulate pricing, prioritize profits over patients, or exploit loopholes that drive up costs.

AMAC Action is committed to protecting seniors from predatory pricing schemes and ensuring they have access to affordable prescription medications. We commend you both for leading this bipartisan effort and urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation to bring long-overdue transparency and accountability to the PBM industry.

Thank you for leading this effort and we look forward to working with you to ensure that America’s seniors receive the fair pricing and patient-centric healthcare they deserve.

Sincerely,
Andrew J. Mangione Jr.
Senior Vice President
AMAC Action