86% of AARP members back Medicare rebate rule that AARP opposes

By an 86% majority, AARP members support the US administration's proposed rule to reform the rebate system in Medicare Part D, according to a nationwide Morning Consult survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Despite overwhelming support from its membership, advocacy group American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) continues to oppose the rebate rule while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from insurance companies every year.

In Medicare Part D, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) negotiate significant rebates on medicines, but often don't share those savings with seniors directly. The rule proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) would change this by ensuring the rebates negotiated with biopharmaceutical companies are entirely passed through to seniors at the pharmacy counter.