U.S. Labor Department updates PBM fee disclosure rules for employer health plans

Traders Union
All News
Regulators
DOL PBM Fee Disclosure Update

Highlights

The U.S. Department of Labor issued a rule requiring pharmacy benefit managers to disclose all fees and compensation received, increasing employer oversight over prescription drug benefits.
New transparency in coverage rules aim to help consumers compare healthcare costs before care, while reducing reporting burdens for health plans and issuers.
Guidance encourages expansion of electronic prior authorization in self-insured markets, and a Field Assistance Bulletin outlines four enforcement principles to ensure consistent EBSA oversight.

Benefit oversight changes and disclosure rules

As reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Employee Benefits Security Administration has released a rule to improve transparency into fees and compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers and their affiliates. The agency says the move is intended to give employers and plan sponsors clearer visibility into costs tied to prescription drug benefit administration.

The department also says new final transparency in coverage rules are meant to help people locate, analyze, and compare costs before receiving care. At the same time, the rules are designed to reduce reporting burdens on health plans and issuers.

Beyond the pricing measures, EBSA says it helps protect job-based retirement, health and other benefits, with guidance and direct assistance for workers, retirees, families, employers and plan sponsors. The agency says it supports legal compliance and problem resolution across plans that cover millions of people nationwide.

Implications for employers and consumers

For employers, the PBM disclosure changes could sharpen oversight of vendor compensation and strengthen fiduciary decision-making in self-funded and other job-based health plans. For workers and families, the broader transparency package is intended to make healthcare costs easier to assess before treatment.

The department also highlights support for expanding electronic prior authorization reform in self-insured markets, saying major American employers are urging third-party administrators to widen those efforts. In addition, a Field Assistance Bulletin sets out four guiding principles for EBSA enforcement priorities, aimed at fair, consistent and even-handed oversight.

Our earlier report on NAFDAC’s crackdown on counterfeit and non-compliant goods in Nigeria detailed how the regulator destroyed unsafe products valued at N22.73 billion in the first eight months of the year. It highlighted the agency’s push to tighten monitoring of distribution channels, raise compliance pressure on market participants, and reduce consumer exposure to harmful products.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.