This week, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) are investigating allegations that CVS Health used confidential patient information earlier this year to lobby Louisiana State Legislature members over a bill that would prevent providers from operating a PBM and pharmacies at the same time.
In June, the state of Louisiana sued CVS and affiliated entities for allegedly sending manipulative text messages to patients urging their opposition to the bill, H.B. 358, using contact information that had patients had shared only so they could receive health care-related notifications from the pharmacy chain.
Comer and Higgins requested documents and communications from the company regarding its use of confidential patient information in Louisiana and all other states since Jan. 1, 2020.
"The inflammatory and misleading text messages—which included threats of pharmacy location closures, increased prescription costs, and loss of service providers—sought to encourage CVS Pharmacy customers to contact Louisiana lawmakers to oppose the bill. This is concerning because CVS Pharmacy must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to access confidential patient information," they wrote.
You can see Comer's press release on the investigation here.
