February 6, 2026
Families, Seniors and Health Committee
Missouri Senate
201 West Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
Dear Senator,
On behalf of the 6,484 members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) in Missouri, I urge you to reject SB 968, and similar legislation that would create unnecessary barriers that will undermine the effectiveness of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in Missouri and increase prescription drug costs for patients.
PBMs save an average of $1,154 for patients by negotiating lower prices on behalf of large groups. More than 289 million Americans who obtain health coverage from their employers, unions, state government plans, and other sponsors rely on PBMs to administer their prescription drug plans. PBMs use various tools like rebates, pharmacy networks, drug utilization review, formularies, specialty pharmacies, mail-order and audits to drive down drug costs, improve quality, increase patient medication adherence, and prevent fraud.
SB 968 would raise average dispensing fees by 500 percent, from $2 to $12, on prescriptions filled in Missouri, and the increased cost will be passed on to consumers. Provisions in the bill would also increase healthcare costs for unions and employers by outlawing certain lower cost pharmacy options in their coverage plans.
PBMs provide savings for patients by allowing a specialty pharmacy to ship a drug for a given patient offering home delivery of prescriptions at a lower cost. Restricting this cost-saving practice takes choices away from patients and limits how employers and other plan sponsors can compensate their PBMs for their services. The bill limits negotiations on behalf of patients and will lead to less competition in the healthcare marketplace, resulting in higher prices, fewer choices and more government overreach in healthcare.
For the above reasons, I ask you to oppose SB 968 and similar legislation that would insert the government further into the healthcare system and result in higher costs and fewer choices for patients in Missouri.
Sincerely,
Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW