A group representing pharmacy benefits managers ramped up its lobbying efforts in the first quarter as the health care overhaul bill moved through Congress and was signed into law.
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association spent $676,558 on lobbying in the first three months of the year. That represented an increase of close to 50 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009, and was more than double what it spent on lobbying in the first quarter of 2009.
The health care bill was signed into law in late March.
PCMA discussed the effects of health care reform proposals on drug coverage, Medicaid rebates, closure of the Medicare Part D coverage gap and retiree drug subsidies. It also discussed the creation of an approval framework for generic versions of biologic drugs, which was created under the health care bill. The group also lobbied on issues related to Medicare and Medicaid drug coverage, electronic prescribing, mail order, settlements between brand name and generic drug makers, and oversight of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan drug benefit.
The group lobbied Congress, the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Federal Election Commission.
PCMA's members include Medco Health Solutions Inc., Express Scripts Inc., and CVS Caremark Corp., the three largest independent U.S. pharmacy benefits managers. Health insurers Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp. are also among its members.
The group disclosed its lobbying in a form filed on April 20 with the House clerk's office.