Only the first inning, a LOT more to come, ...

[North Pack]

Walgreens: no new Medicaid patients as of April 16

Walgreens will stop taking new Medicaid patients in Washington state as of April 16, saying it loses money filling their prescriptions.

By Janet I. Tu

Seattle Times staff reporter
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Effective April 16, Walgreens drugstores across the state won't take any new Medicaid patients, saying that filling their prescriptions is a money-losing proposition — the latest development in an ongoing dispute over Medicaid reimbursement.

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.

He said those who can't can contact the state's Medical Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-562-3022 for help in locating one.

Along with Walgreens and Bartell, the Ritzville Drug Company in Adams County announced in November that it would stop participating in Medicaid.

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.

The amount private insurers and Medicaid pay pharmacies for prescriptions isn't the actual cost of those drugs but rather is based on what's called the drug's estimated average wholesale price. But that figure is more like the sticker price on a car than its actual wholesale cost.

Washington was reimbursing pharmacies 86 percent of a drug's average wholesale price until July, when it began paying them just 84 percent. While pharmacies weren't happy about the reimbursement reduction, the Department of Social and Health Services said that move was expected to save the state about $10 million
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Credit: Seattle Times

[SUPERFITTER]

Don't worry, they will get bailed out and then controlled by the Government. That's Big Government, Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CharlieDaTuna]

The sorry thing about this is that it's just the beginning of things to come.

[Gene_SC]

What is that old saying?  "You aint seen nuthin yet"

[North Pack]

Read - fewer employees, and moving as much "off-shore" as possible.
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http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/03/caterpillar-health-care-bill-would-cost-it-100m.html

[North Pack]

Let's hope, - it WILL BE an "interesting" mid-term election this year.
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By POLITICO STAFF | 3/22/10 6:05 AM EDT
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Within moments of House passage of the historic health care bill, Republican House and Senate challengers across the nation were quick to react and vehement in their responseswith many promising to work vigorously for repeal.

Top GOP candidates, including Steve Stivers in Ohios 15th District and Stephen Fincher in Tennessees open 8th District pronounced themselves appalled in their press releases.

Former Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, running against Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy in Pennsylvanias 8th District referred to the bill as a disaster.

When I am elected to Congress I will lead the fight to repeal this horrendous legislation, added Republican Jim Barnett, who is running for the open seat in Kansass 1st District.

Barnett was one of many Republicans promising to work toward undoing the landmark legislation.

Florida GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio said in a press release he wanted to reiterate my strong support for repealing it and offering alternative reforms that will lower health care costs without growing government and breaking the bank.

Nick Jordan, a Republican running for the open 3rd District seat in Kansas, promised to work tirelessly to repeal this harmful legislation."

In Connecticuts 3rd District, two Republicans seeking the GOP nod against freshmen Democratic Rep. Jim HimesTom Hermann and Rob [omitted]also highlighted their plans to vote for repeal if elected in November.

[omitted] went even went a step further, promising attention to the matter right out of the gate.

I promise the very first act I will take as a Congressman will be to repeal this TRILLION dollar, job-killing, health care damaging legislation," he said in a press release not long after the bill passed the House.

Numerous challengers used the occasion to link their Democratic opponents to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

In a press release mentioning Pelosis name three times, former Congressman Tim Walberg promised to hold town hall meetings in all seven counties of Michigan's 7th District in an effort to oust freshman Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer and work toward repealing the bill.

In Idahos 1st District, Republican Vaughn Ward hammered Rep. Walt Minnick, even though the freshman Democrat voted against the bill.

Walter Minnicks party has done it again. Though he voted no on the health care bill, he did nothing to work with Republicans to stop this unconstitutional bill from being forced on the people, said Ward, who also pledged hed work tirelessly for repeal, in a press release. It is time to remove Walter Minnick and help pull the gavel of power from his boss, Nancy Pelosi.

In Floridas 22nd District, GOP challenger Allen West pointed toward what he saw as an unholy Democratic trinity.

The liberal troika of Obama, Reid, and Pelosi has once again conspired to trample the will of Americans and strong armed Congress to pass health care legislation the public simply does not want, he said in a press release. My pledge to the people of the 22nd District is simple-once elected I will do everything in my power to repeal the repugnant portions of this monstrous piece of legislation."