Illinois lawmakers have advanced the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, aiming to rein in pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. The newly approved House Bill 1697 targets controversial PBM practices like “spread pricing,” where PBMs pocket the difference between what insurers pay and what pharmacies receive for prescription drugs. The bill mandates that all pharmacy rebates must be handed directly back to consumers or their sponsoring organizations, boosting transparency. PBMs would also be prohibited from steering patients to certain pharmacies or limiting access to medicines by labeling them as “specialty drugs.” Representative Ryan Spain says this puts Illinois as a national leader in drug cost reform.
