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Senate advances bill to create PBM reverse auction for public employees' drug purchases
Summary
Senators discussed Senate File 315, described as creating a PBM reverse auction for public employees' health plans; the measure was moved for final reading and senators gave unanimous consent to message the bill to the next step while the Department of Administrative Services is already pursuing a related process.
Senator Webster, the senator from Scott, introduced Senate File 315 as legislation to add a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reverse auction for public employees' health plans.
“Senate file 315 is a bill that establishes a PBM reverse auction as part of public employees health plans,” Senator Webster said. He described the mechanism as “a transparent and competitive bidding process for qualified PBM bidders to submit proposals to an online system and allow counter offers for the lowest price pertaining to a health plan prescription drug purchasing group.” He added that the Department of Administrative Services is “currently undertaking this process as we speak.”
The bill drew no extended debate on the floor. Senator Klimesh, the senator from Winneshiek, moved that Senate File 315 be read for the final time and placed on its passage; the motion prevailed on a voice vote. Later on the floor the secretary was instructed to open the voting system so senators could record final passage votes.
Senator Whitver, the senator from Polk, asked unanimous consent to immediately message several files, including Senate File 106, Senate File 140, Senate File 257 and Senate File 315; the presiding officer said, “Hearing no objections so ordered,” and the files were ordered messaged.
Nut graf: If enacted, the change would alter how the state’s public-employee prescription drug purchasing group contracts with PBMs by establishing a competitive reverse-auction mechanism that proponents say is intended to secure lower prices. The Department of Administrative Services was cited on the floor as already pursuing a related bidding process.
Details and next steps: The floor record shows the bill was set for final reading and senators were called to record their votes; the roll-call result for final passage is not specified in the provided transcript excerpt. The Department of Administrative Services was named during the opening comments as the agency currently engaged in the procurement process described in the bill.
