CALIFORNIANS FOR CAPA

Our Client: Californians for CAPA (California Alliance for Prescription Affordability) is a coalition dedicated to making prescription medications more affordable for California patients and employers. CAPA opposes legislation like SB 966, which they argue would force employers into specific purchasing plans, potentially raising the cost of prescription drugs. The coalition advocates for policies to reduce healthcare costs and improve access to medications, emphasizing the high prices set by drug manufacturers and the need for competitive pharmacy benefit management to secure cost-effective solutions​

Our Challenge: JCI was hired in 2019 after anti-PBM legislation started to emerge in the California Legislature Progressive lawmakers. Often influenced by special interests such as independent pharmacists, lawmakers have targeted the regulation of PBMs in a few bills over the past few years. JCI was tasked with building an organic & diverse grassroots coalition that would understand the important role of PBMs and could influence anti-PBM legislation.

Our Approach: JCI created a bi-monthly newsletter with information about CVS activities across the country. These were sent out to all California legislators and their staff, as well as local elected officials. Our team also hosted educational meetings and briefings with key organizations. In 2021, the JCI team successfully defeated an anti-PBM bill, SB 524.

Our Results: We secured an important partnership with the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to collect over 1,000 letters of opposition from individuals, which were sent directly to Governor Newsom. During a three-year long campaign, JCI has secured earned media pieces, including articles in The Latino Times, The Times of San Diego, and The Stockton Record.