AN ACT CONCERNING PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER REFORM AND PRICE GOUGING IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR.

SB 821 reforms how pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) operate in Connecticut, directly affecting PBMs, pharmacies, and patients. It prohibits PBMs from charging post-transaction fees, clawbacks, or formulary placement fees, and requires them to pass drug rebates to patients at checkout. The bill also mandates that cash payments for prescriptions count toward patient out-of-pocket costs and requires transparency about fees from group purchasing organizations. The Attorney General gains authority to enforce compliance and investigate price gouging in healthcare. These changes aim to increase transparency, reduce patient costs, and establish a duty of care for PBMs.