Provides for fair pharmacy reimbursement from a pharmacy benefit manager, and also provides anti-discrimination prohibitions in regard to non-affiliated pharmacies or pharmacists.

## Rhode Island Pharmacy Reimbursement Bill Summary

This bill aims to create fairer rules for how **pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)** — the middlemen companies that manage prescription drug benefits for insurance plans — pay pharmacies for dispensing medications. Specifically, it would require PBMs to reimburse pharmacies at rates that are reasonable and reflect the actual cost of providing the drugs, rather than allowing PBMs to set reimbursement rates that may be too low for pharmacies to cover their expenses.

The bill also includes **anti-discrimination protections** for independent and non-affiliated pharmacies — meaning pharmacies that are not owned by or partnered with a PBM. Under this legislation, PBMs could not treat these independent pharmacies unfairly compared to pharmacies they have a direct business relationship with. This levels the playing field between large, PBM-affiliated pharmacy chains and smaller, locally-owned pharmacies.

This bill would primarily affect **independent and community pharmacies**, **PBM companies**, and ultimately **patients** who rely on their local pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Independent pharmacies have long argued that low PBM reimbursement rates threaten their ability to stay open. If passed, the bill could help keep more local pharmacies in business, which may be especially important for people in rural or underserved communities with limited pharmacy options.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the **House Health & Human Services Committee** and is scheduled for a hearing in March 2026, but no final vote has been taken yet.