Posted by
Defend America on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:19:57 PM
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
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.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011367936_walgreens18m.html