Auditor: State Should Be Refunded $24.5-M For Prescription Overpayments

Delaware should be paid back $24.5- million it was overcharged for state employees’ prescription drug plan benefits, according to State Auditor Kathy McGuiness.

McGuiness released a special report last week which indicated that the state paid 20-percent more in prescription costs between 2018 and 2020, three times the average inflationary rate for prescription drugs. The report found that vague language allowed Express Scripts, the state’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager, to take advantage of the agreement with the state.

“That’s an abuse of taxpayer dollars that should be returned to Delawareans,” McGuiness said.

Legislation that’s designed to create more oversight and transparency surrounding Prescription Benefit Managers (House Bill 219) is also making its way through the Delaware General Assembly.

“My team has been working on this project for two years,” McGuiness added, “And though we did the math on just one selected area showing how PBMs have taken advantage of Delawareans, it’s nice to know that we independently came to some of the same conclusions as legislators.”

“I take the trust my constituents statewide have placed in me very seriously. Imagine how much good that $24.5 million could do in the First State.”