The Coalition Against Socialized Medicine (CASM) and the CPAC Foundation’s Center for Regulatory Freedom (CRF) have been actively engaging in key health policy debates to advocate for patient autonomy, transparency, and market-driven healthcare solutions. CASM and CRF have focused on countering the influence of government overreach and corporate oligopolies within the healthcare system. Below is a summary of their recent work.
1. Support for FTC’s Actions Against Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)
In response to a Wall Street Journal editorial critical of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit against PBMs, Andrew Langer and David Safavian wrote an op-ed explaining why they support the FTC's investigation. While they generally oppose many of the current FTC’s initiatives under Chair Lina Khan, they view the suit against PBMs as an essential move to restore competition in healthcare.
Key Points:
Vertical Integration & Market Concentration: The FTC's report highlights how vertical integration in the PBM industry has led to inflated drug prices and restricted patient access to medications. The report found that the largest six PBMs, which handle over 90% of drug claims, are now part of vertically integrated conglomerates.
Bipartisan Concerns: Langer and Safavian underscore that dissatisfaction with PBM practices spans political lines. Reports from both the Republican-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and healthcare professionals align with the FTC’s findings that PBMs have manipulated drug prices to their advantage.
Political and Financial Influence: The duo criticizes the Democratic Party’s role in supporting PBM dominance. They argue that PBMs benefited from regulatory leniency due to financial support directed towards Democratic initiatives, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA, according to Langer and Safavian, not only subsidized big insurer-PBMs but also diverted substantial funds from Medicare to other spending priorities.
This stance reflects CASM and CRF’s broader advocacy for dismantling anti-competitive practices in healthcare. They argue that increasing transparency and competition is crucial for improving patient outcomes and lowering healthcare costs.
2. Comments on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
In another significant effort, the CRF provided detailed comments regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) proposal to lower the age for routine pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50. Andrew Langer also authored an op-ed, published in Townhall, regarding this.
CRF’s Position:
Support for Lowering the Vaccination Age: CRF supports ACIP’s move, stating that it could enhance public health outcomes by expanding preventive care access. Lowering the age threshold to 50, they argue, is a necessary step to protect more Americans, particularly those with underlying conditions such as COPD and diabetes.
Advocacy for Vaccine Choice: However, CRF emphasizes that ACIP should not favor one vaccine over another. They point out that both FDA-approved vaccines for pneumococcal disease (PCV13 and PPSV23) are effective. Recommending both allows patients and physicians to choose the best option based on individual needs, rather than being forced into a single, government-endorsed choice.
Restoring Public Trust: CRF also frames this recommendation as a means to rebuild trust in public health institutions. By advocating for flexibility and patient choice, they believe ACIP can counter the top-down, restrictive policies that characterized public health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach is positioned as a way to respect the doctor-patient relationship and empower individuals in their healthcare decisions.
3. Broader Advocacy Against Healthcare Consolidation
Both CASM and CRF have been vocal about the broader issue of healthcare consolidation and its detrimental impact on American consumers. They argue that the power dynamics created by PBMs and vertically integrated healthcare conglomerates—facilitated by political collusion—reduce competition and inflate healthcare costs.
Critique of Regulatory Collusion:
Insurer-PBM Alliances: Langer and Safavian outline how insurer-PBM conglomerates have been protected from anti-trust scrutiny due to political financial exchanges, particularly highlighting collaborations with organizations like the AARP. These alliances, they argue, prioritize profits over patient welfare, resulting in higher medication costs and reduced treatment options for consumers.
Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): The IRA, in their view, exemplifies a misguided policy that indirectly bolstered the healthcare oligopoly. Langer and Safavian assert that the act siphoned significant resources from Medicare, weakening the program while supporting large healthcare corporations. The additional funding requirements, they argue, also artificially inflate taxpayer burdens without tangible improvements in healthcare quality.
A Consistent Call for Patient-Centered, Market-Driven Reform
CASM and CRF’s recent work demonstrates a consistent approach focused on championing patient autonomy, transparency, and competition in healthcare policy. By advocating for a less interventionist, market-based healthcare system, they seek to dismantle the monopolistic structures that, in their view, have been enabled by government collusion with large corporate entities.
FTC’s PBM Suit: They cautiously support the FTC's actions, viewing it as a necessary step to reintroduce competition and transparency into an industry dominated by a few powerful players.
ACIP’s Vaccine Recommendations: They encourage policies that promote choice and flexibility, ensuring that healthcare remains individualized and patient-centered, while also emphasizing the importance of restoring trust in public health authorities.
Healthcare Market Consolidation: CASM and CRF call attention to the dangers of corporate monopolies in healthcare, arguing that a rollback of regulatory favoritism is crucial for reducing prices and improving healthcare outcomes for all Americans.
By focusing on these key areas, the Coalition Against Socialized Medicine and the CPAC Foundation’s Center for Regulatory Freedom continue their mission of promoting healthcare policies rooted in free-market principles, transparency, and individual freedom.
