Reports about the plight of state representative Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, after a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reduced an anti-fatigue medicine in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press generated sympathy in Bluestem for the southwestern Minnesota lawmaker, who lives with M.S.
J. Patrick Coolican reports in Doctors, patients want more control of their medication; opponents point to rising costs:
Hamilton, a Mountain Lake Republican, takes a drug called armodafinil to relieve his fatigue. But last year a "pharmacy benefit manager" — a consultant tasked by insurance companies with cutting drug costs — told him he could only take one per day instead of the two his Mayo Clinic doctor recommended. Hamilton said that even though he pays the full $37.07 per month, his pharmacy can only dole out what the benefit manager allows.
"What's the outcome? I'm in a wheelchair," Hamilton said, pointing at the device he uses to get around the Capitol. He said a year ago, with the drug and a regimented schedule of work and exercise, he was climbing four flights of stairs to his office. But no longer.
Hamilton is proposing legislation that would curtail the ability of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, to change a patient's drug treatments in an attempt to protect the relationship between doctor and patient. Thus far, he has been unable to get a hearing on the bill from his House GOP colleagues.
That last line created some curiosity about political giving and spending on lobbying on the part of the PBM industry in Minnesota.
The winner in this category is the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC). According to records at the Federal Election Commission (Committee ID: C00487678), the state Republicans House Caucus federal committee received $46,000 since 2010 from PACs connected with CVS Health, Express Scripts and Minnesota-based Prime Therapeutics.
Here's the list, extracted from the FEC database accessible here:
EAGAN, Minnesota 55121
Express Scripts Inc. Political Fund (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
CVS Health PAC 1275 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 700
Washingon, DC 20004
Express Scripts Inc. Political Fund (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
CVS Health PAC 1275 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 700
Washingon, DC 20004
Washingon, DC 20004
PRIME THERAPEUTICS LLC EMPLOYEE PAC (PR 1305 CORPORATE CENTER DRIVE
EAGAN, Minnesota 55121
Express Scripts Inc. Political Fund (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
PRIME THERAPEUTICS LLC EMPLOYEE PAC (PR 1305 CORPORATE CENTER DRIVE
EAGAN, Minnesota 55121
PRIME THERAPEUTICS LLC EMPLOYEE PAC (PR 1305 CORPORATE CENTER DRIVE
EAGAN, Minnesota 55121
Express Scripts Inc. Political Fund (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
Express Scripts Inc. Political Fund (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121
EXPRESS SCRIPTS INC. POLITICAL FUND (A/ One Express Way
St. Louis, Missouri 63121 contribution
On the state level, the greatest number of contributions came in 2013, when contributions from individuals who worked for Express Scripts and lived outside of Minnesota swelled Kurt Zellers' gubernatorial bid committee, although lesser amounts were given to Mark Dayton ($1000) and State Senator Vicki Jensen ($250). While there are no PBM PACs registered at the state level, individuals connected with Express Scripts gave $24,000.00 to former House Speaker Zellers' gubernatorial aspirations. (Database here).
Here's what the three firms spent on lobbying through 2016* (not much in contrast with the Chamber of Commerce, but it's also got clean water, the Environmental Quality Board, living wages, paid sick leave and unions to fight against).
$52,000.00 2015
$52,000.00 2014
$60,000.00 2013
$52,008.00 2012
$50,000.00 2011
$50,000.00 2010
$50,000.00 2009
$100,000.00 2016
$80,000.00 2015
$80,000.00 2014
$80,000.00 2013
$60,000.00 2012
$60,000.00 2011
$60,000.00 2010
$60,000.00 2009
Prime Therapeutics
$80,000.00 2016
$60,000.00 2015
$60,000.00 2014
$60,000.00 2013
$60,000.00 2012
$100,000.00 2011
*Updated with the release of 2016 lobbying spending on March 16, 2017.
What's the human toll of this spending? There's that wheelchair, and Hamilton mostly ceding the Ag Finance chair duties to Vice Chair Miller when the committee meets.
We haven't looked at insurance industry contributions and lobbying costs, as those efforts would be more broad than PBM concerns
At the Pioneer Press, Don Davis reports in Republican MN lawmaker with MS lashes out at fellow GOPers for blocking prescription drug bill:
It is personal for Rod Hamilton.
The Minnesota state representative, a multiple sclerosis patient for 20 years, cannot get a committee chairman to consider a bill he says will help people like him who depend on prescription medicine.
“Let’s have these debates,” said the Republican from Mountain Lake on Tuesday. “Don’t hide from it; don’t cower behind a damned gavel.”
The person he talked about, but did not specifically name, is House Commerce Chairman Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, who says he will not take up Hamilton’s bill written to allow patients to generally continue receiving prescription medicine throughout an insurance policy’s term.
Hoppe said that Hamilton’s bill would increase the cost of health care, while Republicans who control the House want to cut the cost.
“The heart of the matter is poverty of the human heart,” Hamilton said of fellow Republicans’ decision to not consider his bill. . . .
We're not ones to argue with that.
Photo: Leila Navidi captured this telling photo of Hamilton at the state capitol for the Star Tribune.
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