The Louisiana Attorney General's office has issued a cease and desist letter to CVS after CVS once again pulled a shady act to stop legislation that would put an end to their monopoly power that forces patients to their own mail and retail pharmacies.
Many may remember that earlier this year legislators in Arkansas stated that they received emails that appeared to be from constituents who used CVS pharmacy. The emails were urging legislators to not vote on legislation that would start to break up pharmacy benefit managers or CVS Caremark from owning CVS. Upon legislators contacting the constituents whom the emails were supposed to be from, many of the patients/constituents stated that they did not send the email. Legislators believed that the emails were actually coming from CVS lobbyists. The Attorney general of Arkansas and legislators believed that this was a misuse of patient data.
In Louisiana, CVS used patient data to send text messages to patients to urge them to not support legislation that would limit CVS's power to steer to their own pharmacies by requiring CVS Caremark to no longer be allowed to own CVS pharmacies. The two would need to be broken up. This comes after many years of pharmacy benefit managers like CVS Caremark abusing their power. CVS Caremark sets reimbursement rates for their own pharmacies, often reimbursing their own pharmacies more than competitors'. CVS also determines which pharmacies patients can use and is increasingly CVS or CVS mail order pharmacy.
The Attorney General is investigating CVS for allegedly misusing customer data to send mass text messages lobbying against proposed legislation. The legislation aimed to prohibit companies from owning both pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers a blatant conflict of interest, as CVS owns both retail pharmacies and CVS Caremark, a major benefit manager.
CVS sent texts warning customers that the bill could shut down their pharmacies and raise drug prices, prompting accusations of misinformation and scare tactics from lawmakers. One legislator blatantly called out CVS's scare tactics with a direct message to "Quit lying."
Republican Rep. Bryan Fontenot highlighted that he received a political message through the same thread used for prescription notifications.
This investigation underscores the importance of protecting patient privacy and ensuring that healthcare decisions are not influenced by corporate interests. As insurance companies and their PBMs further monopolize and grow even more powerful, we remain committed to advocating for policies that prioritize patient care and transparency.
Thank you for your support,
Loretta Boesing, Patient Advocate