The company, which operates 121 stores in the state, will continue filling Medicaid prescriptions for current patients.
In a news release, Walgreens said its decision to not take new Medicaid patients stemmed from a "continued reduction in reimbursement" under the state's Medicaid program, which reimburses it at less than the break-even point for 95 percent of brand-name medications dispensed to Medicaid patents.
Walgreens follows Bartell Drugs, which stopped taking new Medicaid patients last month at all 57 of its stores in Washington, though it still fills Medicaid prescriptions for existing customers at all but 15 of those stores.
Doug Porter, the state's director of Medicaid, said Medicaid recipients should be able to readily find another pharmacy because "we have many more pharmacy providers in our network than we need" for the state's 1 million Medicaid clients.
"Washington state Medicaid is now reimbursing pharmacies less than their cost of participation," said Jeff Rochon, CEO of the Washington State Pharmacy Association.
Pharmacies that continue to fill Medicaid prescriptions at the current state reimbursement rate are "at risk of putting themselves out of business altogether," he said.
5 comments:
"Walgreens drugstores across the state won't take any new Medicaid patients, saying that filling their prescriptions is a money-losing proposition"
This wouldn't make me so angry if this didn't follow it...
"The average wholesale price is calculated by a private company, which was accused in a Massachusetts lawsuit of fraudulently inflating its figures. The company did not admit wrongdoing but agreed in a court settlement to ratchet its figures down by about 4 percent."
Inflating costs, then bitching about not getting paid what you want?
"Fred Meyer and Safeway said their pharmacies would continue to serve existing Medicaid patients and to take new ones, though both expressed concern that the reimbursement rate is too low for pharmacies to make a profit."
F*** the pharmacies. Just setup up bunch of government run pharmacies and watch those profit-hungry assholes die out.
This is just the tip of the iceberg-- medicare/medicaid reimbursements will continue to drop, especially after tons of new patients become eligible (they'll whine about the deficit, of course).
Add to that all the Drs who quit, and your government-run plan will become just what you and yours deserve, 9:26.
9:26--- I'm guessing you have no idea what it takes to run a profitable business. If you gave the pharmacies an option I'm sure they would gladly turnover all Medicare prescriptions to the government. But ask your self this: Since government does a great job running, Social Sec, Medicare, USPS, Dept of Defense, IRS, Welfare.... Do you really want them controlling the drugs you put in your mouth? and worse of all you can't hold the government accountable if they give you the wrong medicine.
You get what you pay for. Medicaid recipients get it for nothing. Whats wrong if they have to work a little harder to find anyone willing to take it.
9:26
In an addition to the comment posted at 11:21
Did you see the fiasco about the swine flu pandemic that wasn't?
And you want them in control of all the phamacies?
You just stuck on stupid!
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