Bartell Drugs (5605 22nd Ave NW) will stop filling Medicaid prescriptions effective Feb. 1, 2010. The decision was made because the state has reduced compensation for pharmacies filling Medicaid/DSHS prescriptions. “This is a painful decision and one we do not take lightly,” George D. Bartell, chairman and CEO said, “We want to be clear that the decision has nothing to do with our DSHS customers, but only with the State.” Bartells is discontinuing the Medicaid prescription program at 15 of 57 locations. The other 14 stores affected are: Roosevelt, University Village, Magnolia, Admiral Way, Bellevue Village, Bridle Trails and Houghton, Inglewood, Bella Bottega and Redmond Town Center, Sammamish Plateau, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Seattle Hill Road. (The entire release here. Thanks, Alvin!)
Ballard Bartells to stop filling Medicaid RX
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Cue the people who think that it's the evil corporation Bartells to blame for this.
Sad news, and it will only get sadder, as cuts to services and medications continue, the Federal goverment will soon place an even greater burden on the states for the costs of medicare/medicade, all because the red carpet needs to be even larger, and needs to be mandated in a compulsery manner upon all of us.
My hope is that there is still one good judge that will identify the unconstitutional nature of the Federal plan, and will spare us the harm.
Then just maybe, they'll actually focus on reforming the system, and Bartells can get back to doing what they do best, serving the whole community.
Personally, I don't mind this, although there are some patients who don't deserve this at all. But I've seen DSHS coupon-carriers see a physician, be prescribed an over-the-counter (OTC) drug instead of an expensive medication that requires a prescription, and theygo ballistic. They'd have to pay for the OTC drug themselves, but the Rx drug would not cost them a penny. Too bad, dude, it's the OTC drug, or nothing.
Just the other day I was at Ballard Bartell's, feeling ill and needing a new prescription filled, waiting behind a couple who were arguing with pharmacy staff about their Medicaid spend-down. Somehow, they involved almost everyone working behind the counter, although eventually, a cashier came up from the front to help those of us waiting in line behind them. The attitude of the couple was the opposite of mine: they were indignant and felt entitled to get free drugs, whereas I may not like the restrictions of my drug benefits (either the hoops I have to jump through or a high copay) but I'm lucky to have a pharmacy benefit at all.
Oh well, I liked Bartells but Walgreens will now get my business. The reimbursement is the same for all stores but only certain ones will stop the coverage?
Anyone can see that this has nothing to do with state reimbursement and have everything to do with the fact every store in the group is in a preeminently white bedroom community.
lol, so it's a race thing, huh? I hope that walgreens can measure up to your standards, my guess is that they will either work out the extra cost by screwing other perscription customers, or follow suit. Like I said, it's just the beggining, pretty soon you'll have no choice but to vent your high minded disgust directly where it belongs, yourself.
The lack of appropriate reimbursement is indeed a big problem, and I don't mind Bartell's calling attention to it, but what's the rationale for discontinuing the prescription program at some locations and not others? Why wouldn't they just stop, period? And how did they choose which locations?
You are telling us you don't see the similarity in the locations chosen?
“there are some patients who don't deserve this at all.”
wow.
Very few people know the truth about Medicaid and Medicare. But more often then not they just force private medical companies to pick up the bill for the Government. Then the companies raise the bills for everyone else and create a beautiful vicious cycle.
I'm happy that Bartells is willing to take the heat from the ignorant knee-jerk big government apologists. And yes, it would appear that they have smartly targeted the regions most likely to give our elected officials hell. Good for them.
Sick'em Grandma! Tell Chris to pay for her red carpet ride!