A Turning Point for Louisiana Families: What Louisiana Got Right in 2025

(Jamie Pope, Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Louisiana’s 2025 legislative session may be remembered partly for its political drama and the promising bills that fell short. More importantly, it will be remembered for the meaningful reforms that directly affect the daily lives of Louisiana families. After years of frustration with rising insurance costs and prescription drug pricing games, lawmakers took bold steps to give power back to consumers. The two biggest wins are long-awaited insurance reforms and the groundbreaking effort to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Insurance Reform

Louisiana families face some of the highest insurance costs in the nation, often dealing with steep premiums, unclear policies, and sudden cancellations. When disaster strikes or accidents occur, Louisianans are left battling red tape. In 2025, the Legislature passed a comprehensive reform package to restore fairness and transparency to a system that has long favored industry over individuals. Lawmakers sent a message by boosting rate transparency, strengthening consumer protections, and targeting predatory practices. The era of unchecked abuse in Louisiana’s insurance market is ending. The reforms passed this session lay the foundation for a system that puts people, rather than profit, at the center of policy.

One impactful change came from Rep. Emily Chenevert’HB431, which reforms Louisiana’s comparative fault system. Under the new law, anyone found to be 51% or more at fault in an accident is barred from recovering damages. This discourages frivolous claims by ensuring responsibility matters.

Rep. Michael Melerine’s HB450 eliminated the “Housley presumption,” which allowed plaintiffs to assume injury without proving it was caused by an accident. Now, the burden of proof falls where it should, on the person filing the claim. This common-sense reform strengthens fairness in court and helps control inflated settlements that drive up premiums for everyone.

Rep. Gabe Firment emerged as a leader on several key reforms. His bill, HB436, limits general damage claims for illegal immigrants involved in accidents, while allowing them to recover economic losses. Additionally, Rep. Firment passed HB438, which bans insurers from passing the cost of advertising on to consumers through higher premiums.

 

These bills reflect an effort to clean up Louisiana’s insurance market. They prioritize personal responsibility and bring transparency to policy pricing. With these reforms, Louisianians can expect fairer rates, clearer policies, and accountability when it counts most.

PBM Reform

Lawmakers fought one of the most transformative battles over how powerful players manipulate prescription drug prices behind the scenes. Rep. Michael Echols led a bipartisan effort to expose and rein in the unchecked power of pharmacy benefit managers. These middlemen decide which drugs insurers cover, set the reimbursement rates for pharmacies, and determine how much patients pay at the counter.

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Echols’ HB264 aimed to bring PBMs under real regulatory oversight. It requires PBMs to report pricing practices, disclose rebate agreements, and prohibit spread pricing, where PBMs charge insurers more than they reimburse pharmacies, pocketing the difference. These reforms are essential to leveling the playing field for independent pharmacies and ensuring patients aren’t being overcharged to pad corporate profits.

 

Using Private Consumer Health Data for Political Lobbying

During the session, Louisiana citizens received unsolicited text messages from CVS urging them to oppose PBM reform bills. Critics condemned the messages as a corporate pressure campaign to protect the PBM industry’s unchecked control over prescription pricing. For some, the texts reinforced the need for reform. They highlighted how powerful interests were willing to mobilize against even modest consumer protections. CVS used private consumer health data for political lobbying.

Attorney General Liz Murrill is holding CVS accountable for crossing that line. In a recently filed lawsuit, Murrill alleges that CVS and its PBM, Caremark, misused confidential information to send mass text messages to Louisiana residents, urging them to oppose a bill that would have curbed corporate control over local pharmacies. These unsolicited texts, which reached state employees, veterans, and vulnerable patients, falsely warned of pharmacy closures and medication loss. This was all to protect CVS’s bottom line. This lawsuit isn’t just about data misuse; it’s about drawing a line between corporate influence and citizen privacy. A healthcare giant exploiting trust to sway legislation proves why we need reform.

 

The public attention surrounding this issue is undeniable. Governor Landry has hinted that he may convene a special session to revisit PBM legislation, signaling renewed momentum on prescription drug reforms.

A Strong Foundation

Quiet frustration has become a loud, unified demand for transparency and fairness. Understandably, critics may argue that the legislature didn’t go far enough. However, we should recognize what this session represents: a shift away from status quo politics and toward consumer-focused reform. This year’s session laid a strong foundation. Insurance companies, PBMs, and other powerful interests have been put on notice. Louisiana is watching. Business as usual is no longer acceptable. This is what good governance looks like: policies that protect people, not profits.

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