Congressional scrutiny aside, ‘the rebate model remains alive and well’ as the big three pharmacy benefit managers exclude around 600 drugs each from their formularies.

As health insurance lobby launches advertising campaign to defend ‘evidence-based, market-driven tools,’ drug firms point out the connection between insurers and pharmacy benefit managers.

Cigna’s PBM, Express Scripts, is looking to “further align incentives across the pharmaceutical supply chain, consumers, and clients,” with a trio of new products available starting this summer.

Insurer's concerns about the cost of covering drugs that could be used by large swaths of the population has contributed to their reluctance to pay for them, but in comments to the agency, drug firms, consumer advocates and medical professionals urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to promote coverage in the commercial plans governed by the Affordable Care Act.