04/22/2026
TRENTON – Senators John McKeon (D-Essex/Passaic) and Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) issued the following statement regarding legislation to reform pharmacy benefit managers:
“Families across New Jersey are paying too much for the medications they rely on, thanks to unaccountable pharmacy benefit managers. For years, these middlemen have operated in the shadows of our healthcare system, claiming to lower costs while quietly driving up prices, undercutting local pharmacies, and limiting patient choice.
“With only three PBMs controlling 80 percent of the market, there is practically no competition or oversight. They decide which medications are available and which pharmacies succeed, leaving patients with no choice but to submit and pay artificially high drug prices. In any other industry, this level of market concentration would be scrutinized under existing antitrust regulations, but PBMs have been allowed to dominate our healthcare system.
“We are committed to working with Governor Mikie Sherrill and our colleagues in the Legislature to pass the “Patient Provider and Protection Act,” which would require PBMs to prioritize patient care, end price manipulation, and ensure fair pharmacy reimbursement. By getting this common-sense legislation across the finish line, we will deliver real cost relief to our residents when they need it the most.”
