No. 18-540October Term 2020Decided Dec 10, 2020
Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn.
This case was about an Arkansas law that regulates how pharmacy benefit managers reimburse pharmacies for prescription drugs, including requiring updated reimbursement lists and an appeal process when a pharmacy is paid less than its acquisition cost.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Dec 10, 2020
- What it's about
This case was about an Arkansas law that regulates how pharmacy benefit managers reimburse pharmacies for prescription drugs, including requiring updated reimbursement lists and an appeal process when a pharmacy is paid less than its acquisition cost. The dispute was whether federal ERISA law overrides that state regulation.
Question presented
Whether the Eighth Circuit erred in holding that Arkansas's statute regulating PBMs' drug-reimbursement rates, which is similar to laws enacted by a substantial majority of States, is preempted by ERISA, in contravention of this Court's precedent that ERISA does not preempt rate regulation.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit / Decision released Dec 10, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided December 10, 2020
The Court released its decision on December 10, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology