Dear Colleague,
Penn State is giving 35 points to Bowling Green this week. Ole Miss is a 41-point favorite over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Alabama is giving 31 points to the South Florida Bulls. The oddsmakers are often right, but not always. In 2007, No. 2 ranked Michigan paid Appalachian State $400,000 to come to Ann Arbor to be a sacrificial lamb. But the Mountaineers didn't read the script, and they beat the Wolverines with a last-minute field goal in one of the greatest upsets of all time.
In 1957, my beloved Oklahoma Sooners had the longest winning streak in history—47 games without a loss, going back to 1953. Notre Dame was unranked that year, and they were a heavy underdog. But they didn't read the script either. Their defense frustrated the Sooners' previously unstoppable offense and kept them bottled up all day. Neither team scored until late in the fourth quarter, when the Fighting Irish engineered a 20-play touchdown drive for the shocking win. It was the first time in 123 games that the Sooners had been shut out. Incidentally, this was the cover of Sports Illustrated that week: "Why Oklahoma is Unbeatable." Ooof.
Upsets happen every week. That's why they play the games.
The PBMs and the Insurance Cartel, perennial favorites on Capitol Hill, are starting to feel a little like their winning streak is over too. Since the start of the year, we've been moving the ball closer to the goal line. NCPA members have responded to our rally cries and together with the NCPA advocacy team have rallied large bipartisan majorities in both houses in favor of PBM reform. And our campaign, Finish the Fight, has so far resulted in over 37,000 messages from pharmacy patients to Congress demanding reform.
In August, we kicked off our Months of Action campaign, which is aimed at getting members of Congress to visit independent pharmacies so they can learn first-hand why PBM payment reform is critical. Thirty-two members of Congress (or their staff) representing 19 states did just that last month. Half of those members are in leadership, or they serve on key committees that we'll need to push reform over the goal line.
This week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) visited with two of our members, including NCPA Board member Steve Moore (Condo Pharmacy, Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and NCPA member Jagat Patel's pharmacy (Crestwood Pharmacy in Albany). Schumer's support is critical to PBM reform, and his willingness to meet with our members is a very positive development.
But the game isn't over. We have to keep playing hard until the clock runs out. Congress returns to Washington for most of September, and they'll be hearing from us—and we will be asking you to weigh in—when they arrive. But they'll be going back home for the month of October, and that's your chance to make more yardage. If you haven't scheduled a pharmacy visit yet, please reach out to [email protected] now and he'll help you get prepped and on the calendar.
The PBMs have already spent millions of dollars this year trying to prevent reform. The rumor is they're preparing to spend millions more before the end of the year. But so far, their money isn't helping them. They're losing to the underdogs, and they know it. We can beat the odds, but it'll take more work. Let's keep it up until the end of the year.
Best,
B. Douglas Hoey, Pharmacist, MBA
NCPA CEO
