Letter to the Editor: Congresswoman's stand lauded by Madsen

How many have heard of a PBM? It’s the acronym for Pharmacy Benefit Manager, the intermediaries between your pharmacy and your insurance company. PBMs set the contract prices and conditions for your pharmacist and do field audits to ensure that private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid are not being taken advantage of. A good thing, right? Yes, until the PBMs start abusing their position to intimidate independently owned pharmacies, like those we rely on in small town eastern Washington.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers stood up to the PBMs and their deceptively named Affordable Pharmacy Action Network PAC. The PBMs own the mail order pharmacies, and closing down community pharmacies boosts their business. Cathy co-sponsored HR 1971 and HR 4215 - the “Medicare Pharmacy Transparency and Fair Auditing Act.” These bills will not allow fraud to escape and will not interfere with the free market. They will help preserve access to a pharmacist in Odessa.

Because she stood up for eastern Washington, Cathy took a hit from a sponsor of the conservative Newsmax website. Cathy listened to her constituents and followed principle over political pressure. Let’s send Cathy back to D.C. to continue standing up for the real Washington.

Sue Lani W. Madsen

Edwall