Bill · H.R. 8779· House(119-HR-8779)
PBM Act
- Introduced
- 5/13/2026
- Last activity
- 5/13/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Diana Harshbarger
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 5
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Patients Before Monopolies Act" aims to prohibit the common ownership of pharmacies alongside pharmacy benefit managers or insurance companies. The bill seeks to prevent vertical integration where large healthcare conglomerates own both the entities that manage drug benefits and the pharmacies that dispense them. To achieve this, the act requires certain companies to divest their pharmacy businesses within one year. It also empowers the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to review and block transactions that create these conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the bill establishes civil action pathways for federal agencies, state attorneys general, and private citizens to enforce these separations.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this lower the price of prescription medicines?+8
The bill aims to reduce drug costs by prohibiting vertical integration that allows pharmacy benefit managers to steer business to their own pharmacies.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+7
The bill empowers consumers to bring civil actions for damages and recover overcharged revenue due to anti-competitive pharmacy practices.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
Reducing vertical integration in pharmacy benefits can lower the cost of essential medications for low-income families.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Market Competition: By structurally separating vertically integrated health conglomerates, the bill aims to restore competition to the marketplace (Section 2, Paragraph 8A).
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Lower Prescription Drug Costs: The bill seeks to address issues where vertically integrated pharmacy benefit managers steer business to affiliated pharmacies, which currently increases costs for patients (Section 2, Paragraph 4).
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Protection for Independent Pharmacies: The act intends to protect smaller, unaffiliated, independent pharmacies from market power pressures used by large pharmacy benefit managers (Section 2, Paragraph 5 and 8A).
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Financial Relief for Consumers: Through civil actions, courts may order the disgorgement of revenue from illegal pharmacy operations to be placed in a fund for the benefit of consumers who were overcharged (Section 3, Subsection C, Paragraph 7).
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Consumer Recourse: Individuals may bring civil actions to seek damages, including treble damages and attorney's fees, if they suffer damages due to a violation of this act (Section 3, Subsection C, Paragraph 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Mandatory Divestment Burdens: Entities found in violation of the act are required to divest their pharmacy businesses within one year, which may involve significant corporate restructuring (Section 3, Subsection A, Paragraph 2).
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Financial Penalties for Non-Compliance: Companies that fail to meet specific divestment milestones may have 10 percent of their profits transferred into an escrow account monthly (Section 3, Subsection B, Paragraph 2B).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For Union Workers+3
- Healthcare
- Reduces Prescription Drug Costs+8
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+7
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 7/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/13/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Jake AuchinclossDemocrat · Massachusetts
Earl CarterRepublican · Georgia
Christopher DeluzioDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Maggie GoodlanderDemocrat · New Hampshire
Greg LandsmanDemocrat · Ohio
Richard McCormickRepublican · Georgia
Jerrold NadlerDemocrat · New York
Troy NehlsRepublican · Texas