Walgreens to stop taking new Medicaid patients in Washington

Walgreens to stop taking new Medicaid patients in Washington -

Walgreens pharmacies across the state of Washington will stop accepting new Medicaid requirements of patients from April 16, 2010. All 121 stores in the state continue to serve existing Medicaid beneficiaries, but will not take new consumers because of heavy discounts repayment Medicaid recently adopted in the state of Washington.

This move comes on the heels of two other pharmacies that have stopped taking Medicaid patients prescriptions. Bartell Drugs decided to stop taking new patients last month and Ritzville drug stopped in November.

Doug Porter, state director of Washington Medicaid is not worried about these pharmacies, reported The Seattle Times . Porter said that there are many more suppliers than they need in the network.

Washington State reimburses pharmacies less developed for at least 95 percent of brand prescriptions for Medicaid patients profitability. Washington currently has one million Medicaid beneficiaries, and this number will not diminish anytime soon.

Pharmacies and trade association went to take legal action against the State and the trial is ongoing. Vendors argue that the state does not comply with the federal law on the setting of reimbursement rates because rates are too low.

This is one of those health care situations where profits are involved, so someone is going to get the short end of the stick. And unfortunately, it is often the consumer.

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