Federal Register #2026-15913

FTC Consent Order on Insulin Pricing and CDC Influenza Surveillance Grants

This opportunity summary covers two distinct government actions: - The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposes a 10-year consent order with Caremark Rx, L.L.C. and Zinc Health Services, LLC to address anticompetitive practices in pharmacy benefit management, especially regarding insulin pricing. - Caremark (a CVS Health company) is required to place low wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) drugs on formularies and cap insulin copays for members. - The Copay Certainty Program will limit out-of-pocket insulin costs to $25 (0-34 days), $50 (35-68 days), and $75 (69+ days) per supply period. - The order mandates increased transparency and improved pharmacy reimbursement practices. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces funding awards to: - Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru) and nine African public health institutes. - These awards support influenza surveillance, pandemic and novel influenza detection, and infectious disease outbreak response. - No procurement of commercial products or services is requested; the actions are regulatory (FTC) and grant-based (CDC). - OEMs and vendors mentioned: Caremark Rx, L.L.C. (CVS Health), Zinc Health Services, LLC, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. - Notable requirements include a 10-year compliance period for the FTC consent order and specific copay caps for insulin.

Description

This notice concerns a proposed consent agreement by the Federal Trade Commission addressing alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair methods of competition by Caremark. The agreement aims to protect the public from anticompetitive conduct by Caremark and includes provisions to reduce out-of-pocket costs for members, ensure fair rebate distribution, and create a Copay Certainty Program for insulin. The FTC seeks public comment on the proposed consent order, which outlines specific terms to prevent discrimination against certain drug versions and improve transparency and fairness in pharmacy benefit management.

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