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Bill

S 6161

Relates to reducing pharmacy benefit manager costs

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 4 co-sponsors

S 6161 aims to reduce pharmacy benefit manager costs, benefiting insurers, employers, and consumers who pay for prescription drug benefits.

REFERRED TO INSURANCE
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 6161

Summary: Senate Bill S 6161 — Relates to Reducing Pharmacy Benefit Manager Costs

Overview

  • Bill number: S 6161
  • Title/purpose: Relates to reducing pharmacy benefit manager costs. The exact provisions are not included in the provided information.
  • Status: Referred to the Senate Committee on Insurance.
  • Introduced: March 6, 2025

Legislative Actions

  • 2025-03-06: Referred to Insurance
  • 2025-03-06: Referred to Insurance (listed twice in the provided record)

Sponsorship

  • Primary sponsor: James Skoufis
  • Cosponsors: Gustavo Rivera, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Rachel May, Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.

Related Legislation

  • Related/Prior-session bills: S 6297, S 1768, S 1888
  • Companion (House): A 1722 (listed as companion)

Purpose and Intent (as indicated by the title)

  • The bill aims to address and reduce costs associated with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer drug benefit plans for payers (employers, insurers, and government programs) and are often scrutinized for practices affecting drug pricing, rebates, and overall costs to consumers and plans.

Key Provisions (Not Available in Provided Text)

  • The text of S 6161 is not included in the information provided, so specific provisions, mechanisms, and requirements are not enumerated here.
  • Typical provisions in bills addressing PBM costs (not confirmed for this bill) might include transparency requirements, cap on certain fees or spreads, audit and reporting mandates, consumer protections, contract disclosures, and regulatory oversight. The exact scope and tools of S 6161 would be determined by the full bill language.

Affected Parties

  • Primary beneficiaries potentially: Insurers, employers, and consumers who pay for prescription drug benefits; PBMs themselves would be directly affected by any new requirements or reforms.
  • Regulatory/oversight bodies: Likely state health/insurance regulatory agencies (consistent with the bill’s referral to Insurance), which would implement or enforce any new PBM-related provisions.
  • Industry stakeholders: PBMs, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, and payer organizations.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • The bill has been referred to the Senate Insurance Committee, signaling the initial step in the committee process.
  • No committee hearing dates or vote outcomes are provided here.
  • Given the related bills and a House companion (A 1722), this topic has had ongoing legislative attention in prior sessions and across chambers.

Next Steps for Readers

  • To understand the exact provisions and impact, locate the full text of S 6161 and any committee memo or fiscal impact statement.
  • Compare with related bills (S 6297, S 1768, S 1888; A 1722 companion) to gauge alignment or differences in approach to reducing PBM costs.
  • Monitor updates from the Senate Insurance Committee for hearings, amendments, and potential passage.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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