US funding bill would tighten scrutiny on PBMs and more

Congressional negotiators released a more than 1,000 page bipartisan government funding bill on Tuesday, racing a shutdown deadline of 30 January and aiming to avoid another lapse after last fall’s lengthy shutdown.

The package would provide $117 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services in 2026, a $210 million increase over 2025. It also contains Medicare-focused measures to curb pharmacy benefit managers’ ability to collect certain payments and to force more disclosure around rebates and patient out-of-pocket costs.

Within the Department of Health and Human Services, agencies that had been targeted for steep cuts under President Donald Trump’s proposals would largely be kept near current levels. The National Institutes of Health would receive $48.7 billion, broadly in line with fiscal 2025.