Rural Iowa Pharmacy Owner Cites PBM Reimbursement Pressures in Senate Candidate Stop
A rural Iowa pharmacy owner told Senate candidate Josh Turek his business lost over $100,000 in its first year because pharmacy benefit managers reimburse below drug acquisition costs, particularly for Medicare prescriptions. The owner said a 2025 Iowa PBM reform law, currently tied up in litigation, would not cover Medicare patients who represent the majority of his pharmacy's business. Turek called for federal PBM reform, noting that state-level action exempts federally administered programs like Medicare and creates a patchwork of standards.
Pharmacy closures driven by PBM reimbursement pressures reduce Medicaid beneficiary access to medications and pharmacy services in rural communities, particularly affecting states with managed care pharmacy carve-ins where network adequacy requirements depend on independent pharmacy participation.
Pharmacy
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