KLSC Christmas List: Unwrapping Reforms for Better Care
As we celebrate the holiday season, KLSC is making its list and checking it twice...and every ask represents a critical step toward better care and innovation. Now it’s up to Congress to deliver these legislative gifts that will bring real cheer to patients and providers. The groundwork has been laid, the momentum is strong, and it’s time to push these measures across the finish line.
PBM Reform
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) use opaque and anti-competitive practices to drive up healthcare costs and create barriers to care, harming patients, employers, and taxpayers. The PBM Reform Act and the PBM Price Transparency and Accountability Act are both key steps toward reform. These policies will target spread pricing, delink PBM revenues from the cost of medication, increase transparency, and protect access to community pharmacies.
340B Reform
The 340B program, while well-intentioned, has grown rapidly and strayed from its original mission. Mounting evidence shows that some participants are pocketing discounts instead of passing savings on to the low-income and vulnerable patients the program was designed to help. The 340B ACCESS Act is a critical step toward restoring integrity, bringing much-needed oversight and transparency to the program. This will help ensure discounts reach those who need them most and protect patients from inflated prescription costs and crushing medical bills.
MCED Act
With more than 400 cosponsors in the House and Senate, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act stands out as one of the most widely supported bills in Congress. This bipartisan legislation is a true game-changer for cancer care, allowing Medicare coverage of innovative cancer screening technologies. By giving seniors access to these life-saving tools, we can dramatically improve outcomes through earlier diagnoses.
Stop Counterfeit Medications
The growing demand for weight-loss medications has opened the door to a flood of counterfeit products from companies cutting corners, creating a dangerous and uneven playing field. Fraudulent treatments not only jeopardize patient safety, but also undermine the work of legitimate providers and biopharmaceutical innovation. This erodes public trust in the safety of medications, discouraging investments in new treatments and threatening the integrity of our healthcare system. Federal agencies and Congress must act decisively to crack down on bad actors, enforce existing regulations, and safeguard the U.S. drug supply chain and American innovation.
Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act
When Medicare-negotiated drug prices take effect on January 1, 2026, LTC pharmacies will face significant financial challenges that could force many to close their doors. The Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (H.R. 5031/S. 315) addresses this looming crisis in senior care that could cost taxpayers up to $4.8B in increased healthcare costs. Without action, millions of seniors in nursing homes and long-term care facilities could lose access to essential medications and pharmacy services.
This holiday season, our wish is simple: action. These bills have the support, the solutions, and the urgency. Now, let’s deliver for patients.
