Prescription Drugs—List Price, Net Price, and the Rebate Caught in the Middle

In this Viewpoint, Peter Bach and colleague Stacie Dusetzina question the assumption underlying a 2019 proposed federal rule change to eliminate drug manufacturer rebates to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as a way to decrease prescription drug prices, and they propose more extensive restructuring, including a cap on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, to better control drug costs and save patients money.