Mississippi Speaker of the House Jason White (Photo from White's Facebook)
- Speaker Jason White said Thursday that the Senate has repeatedly taken the proposed PBM reform legislation too far, “placing the cost burden on the shoulders of Mississippi’s patients.”
Speaker Jason White (R) took to social media Thursday afternoon to say House leadership was allowing the Senate amended pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform bill to die at the evening deadline without concurring or inviting conference.
The action from the House comes after the Senate inserted language into the House bill that would increase dispensing fees, a move White contends “would have increased annual healthcare expenses by millions for plan sponsors and higher insurance premiums for hardworking Mississippians.”
The Mississippi Business Alliance and its members came out in opposition to the strike-all amendment inserted from the Senate in a 44 to 7 vote.
READ MORE: Employers warn Senate plan to raise Mississippians’ drug prices will cost dearly
Speaker White said conversations with Governor Tate Reeves (R) pointed to him being “unlikely to sign” HB 1665 in its current form as amended by the Senate. White said Reeves “has been working diligently with all interested parties to find an agreement.”
In an effort to revive the conversation, White said the House has requested that the governor call a special session in the remaining days of the regular session to address PBM reform.
This is the third year that that House has taken the lead on efforts to provide PBM reforms. The House bill this session, authored by State Rep. Hank Zuber (R), was the only measure filed to address the issue.
“However, the Senate has repeatedly taken this legislation too far, placing the cost burden on the shoulders of Mississippi’s patients,” Speaker White said. “The House’s original bill, and the only PBM reform bill that was before the legislature this Session, would have given independent pharmacists 90% of what they have been advocating for the past three years.”
White added that the House has consistently made efforts to ease the concerns of local pharmacists, “and we are committed to doing so without harming businesses and Mississippians.”
“The House will remain focused on doing the right thing for all Mississippians. We anticipate further negotiations among all parties to reach a solution that is agreeable within the next few days,” the Speaker said. “It is the Mississippi House of Representatives’ goal to consider and pass a bill that takes into account our state’s patients and businesses, in addition to independent pharmacists.”
There has been no word yet as to whether Governor Reeves will call a special session. If he does, other issues could be added to that call to force lawmakers to consider measures Reeves views as important to Mississippi, such as expanded education freedom options for parents.
