01/23/2026
Watch these three examples from the mouths of the CEO’s from Optum/United Healthcare and CVS/Caremark where they admit they steer patients to THEIR OWN PHARMACIES! This is not patient choice! These PBMs pay independent pharmacies below their costs to steer even more patients to their pharmacies and they also reimburse their pharmacies more than they do independent pharmacies for the same drug. This is not fair competition! This is a Monopoly and the Federal Trade Commission needs to break these PBM’s up! PBM’s are Fortune 500 companies that make billions each year and they push small independent pharmacies out of business! These companies own pharmacies that compete with independent pharmacies, but they get to determine how much their competition is reimbursed and they get to audit their competition and take back more money from them! These PBMs also get to decide what drugs are on their formulary. This is not because it saves you money, but because the PBM makes more money from rebates they get from the manufacturers. That is why the cheaper generics aren’t allowed on your plan and why you are forced to pay for the more expensive brand name drug. These companies do not save anyone money! Just follow the money and see how much these companies are worth and how much these CEO’s make.
Your doctor does not even get to choose what medication is best for you because the PBM gets to decide which drugs are on their formulary. How many times do you go to the pharmacy and you are told the drug is not covered or needs a prior authorization from your insurance company? That is because of the PBM. They only want drugs on their formulary where they can get big rebates from the manufacturer. They don’t care which drug your doctor knows you need to get better.
Healthcare costs are out of control and this is why! Please call your representatives and ask them to support small independent pharmacies and stop this unfair, anti-competitive practice! Ever since the PBMs, the middlemen, got involved with healthcare decisions - prices have gone up and healthcare has gone down.