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The CEOs of Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson faced a barrage of questions on Capitol Hill from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and other members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.

Last year, lawmakers in 29 states considered some 90 bills that would regulate quicker response times from insurers, according to the American Medical Association, with victories in New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

The state plans to invest $6.5 million in funds from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act toward a partnership with nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, which buys bundled medical debt portfolios from providers.

The Delinking Revenue from Unfair Gouging (DRUG) Act would require pharmacy benefit managers that contract with a carrier offering federal health benefits plans to "de-link" the fees they charge insurers from the price of drugs.  

Only about 3 in 10 believe the quality of care and services they receive reflect their costs.

As part of the negotiated settlement, the defendants paid more than $8.3 million in restitution.