In Utah, an issue of paramount concern to every family and business is the affordability and accessibility of health care. Our state is facing a health care challenge — one that threatens to undermine the strides we’ve made in ensuring that our citizens do not have to choose between their health and financial stability.

Utahns have been a frugal people since the state’s founding. They have always valued the ability to access quality care without excessive costs. However, a troubling trend has emerged, with nearly 70% of our residents experiencing health care affordability burdens, a dramatic increase from just 27% in 2020. It’s a concern that transcends income brackets, affecting even those with incomes above $100,000. It’s also a concern that our esteemed senators, Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT), have been diligently addressing.

Against this backdrop, the proposed legislation to dismantle pharmacy benefit companies (PBMs) is especially concerning.

PBMs are the unsung heroes in our health care system that governments, employers and insurers hire to help them negotiate with the major drug companies. They work quietly behind the scenes to negotiate lower drug prices and manage prescription drug benefits effectively. They serve as a bulwark against the rising tide of prescription drug costs, which, if unchecked, could lead to even greater burdens for Utah families.

PhRMA, the trade association representing the major drug companies, is ironically pushing for Congress to regulate them or break them up because PBMs impact the bottom line of the trade association’s member companies. Thankfully, our senators have shown commendable foresight in resisting this overreaching government intervention that would disrupt the vital services PBMs provide. They have seen the statistics showing that PBMs save each patient an average of over $1,000 annually and recognize that drug companies have a nefarious agenda in seeking to regulate these entities. Our senators’ opposition to the ill-advised legislation that would regulate or break up PBMs is rooted in an understanding of the need to promote the free-market policies that have allowed Utah to flourish.

In our state, where pioneers once settled with dreams of a better future, we understand the value of negotiation and fair play. PBMs epitomize this spirit, leveraging collective bargaining to secure discounts from drug manufacturers, ensuring that Utahns from St. George to Logan and everywhere in between can access life-saving medications without crippling financial repercussions.

The median annual price of novel FDA-approved drugs is a staggering $222,000. Without PBMs, these costs could become unsustainable. These organizations are instrumental in saving their clients — the governments, employers and insurers that serve the American people — significant amounts on prescription drug costs. In a state known for its robust small business community, the ripple effects of such savings, which leads to more money in the pockets of our working families, cannot be overstated.

Our politicians must remain steadfast in their defense of PBMs. They must continue to resist the pressures Big Pharma induces on their offices in seeking to dismantle an effective system that has, thus far, worked in favor of our citizens. In doing so, they will uphold the values that Utahns hold dear — self-reliance, community and the pursuit of a life unburdened by the fear of insurmountable health care costs.

Let us not be swayed by the siren songs of those who do not have our best interests at heart. Instead, let us support the free-market principles that have served our state well. We stand firm in our belief that the path to a sustainable health care system lies not in dismantling what works but in enhancing and improving upon the functioning foundations that have already been laid.

Mackey Smith is the vice-chair of the Salt Lake County Republican Party.

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