政府調查藥品福利管理機構利潤
Government Investigates Pharmacy Benefit Manager Profits
在美國醫療保健體系複雜的世界中，藥品福利管理公司(Pharmacy Benefit Managers, 簡稱PBMs)擔任製藥公司與保險提供商之間強大的中間人。
In the complex world of American healthcare, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) act as powerful intermediaries between drug companies and insurance providers.
儘管其最初設計目的是管理處方藥成本，但現在卻受到嚴格審視。
Although they were originally designed to manage prescription costs, they are now under intense scrutiny.
由聯邦貿易委員會(Federal Trade Commission, 簡稱FTC)領導的政府調查顯示，「三大」PBM——CVS Caremark、Express Scripts 和 Optum Rx——對市場行使過度的權力。
Government investigations, led by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), suggest that the 'Big Three' PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx—wield excessive power over the market.
批評者認為，這些公司利用「不透明的利潤模式」，例如價差定價(Spread pricing)和回扣方案，來提高成本。
Critics argue that these companies use 'opaque profit models' like spread pricing and rebate schemes to inflate costs.
經過多年的調查，FTC最近在2026年與Express Scripts達成了一項具有里程碑意義的和解協議，迫使該公司提高透明度並改革其商業行為。
Following years of investigation, the FTC recently secured a landmark settlement with Express Scripts in 2026, forcing the firm to increase transparency and reform its business practices.
雖然PBM堅稱其規模降低了整體成本，但病患權益倡導者認為，這些「秘密的中間商」以犧牲可負擔性為代價，獲取了巨額利潤。
While PBMs maintain that their scale lowers overall costs, patient advocates argue that these 'secretive middlemen' extract massive profits at the expense of affordability.
隨著政府繼續透過《2026年綜合撥款法案》(Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026)等立法推動問責制，藥價的未來仍然是美國衛生政策的核心議題。
As the government continues its push for accountability through legislation like the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, the future of drug pricing remains a central topic in U.S. health policy.
