Posted on 07/29/2024 8:02:59 PM PDT by lyby
If you are experiencing increased healthcare insurance and prescription costs, one reason may be the growing, middleman business of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM). The most recent article at The Alabama Examiner addresses Tennessee's PBM reform enacted in 2021. Alabamians are working hard to save our hometown pharmacies being driven out of business! https://www.alabamaexaminer.com/post/pbm-reform-enacted-in-tennessee-why-not-alabama
Please, read the articles for information that better explains sky-rocketing prices for medications and why we are losing our local, hometown pharmacies.
That’s why the democrats have the upper hand in the health care debate and we’re giving it to them.
A ‘manager’ puts in extra hours at a department stored and gets no overtime. Republicans won’t stick up for these people who are more motivated than the average worker. Guess who they end up voting for?
They have the upper hand, because they lie about public healthcare. They say that it’s all healthcare and all the time and for everybody. That’s an economic impossibility.
You can give all healthcare and all the time, but not for everybody.
You can give all healthcare and to everybody, but not all the time.
You can give healthcare to everybody and all the time, but not all healthcare.
This has been well known among smaller pharmacy owners for 18, if not twenty-five years. IOW, it’s news only to those who’ve not been paying attention to what’s gone on in with retail pharmacy.
It’s a good time for nutritionists and health practitioners to make a comeback. You’ll cut your eventual need for medications in half if you spent your life taking care of yourself properly.
Food. stamps don’t help. Obesity is out there and the left talks about starving kids. I’ve seen folks reject stuff at food banks-beggers being choosers. Some can afford tattoos. So what’s the answer?
This is happening in Oklahoma. That idiot governor Stitt vetoed the bill passed by our legislators that would prevent insurance companies from only considering big box pharmacies as in network. He said the insurance companies convinced him it would be cost effective for patients. I smell a kickback because nobody’s THAT stupid.
The answer is good information and consequences.
kickback
********************
That’s it!!! And we’re back to “follow the money.”
Based on your comment, moniker, and tagline, you seem to have knowledge that can be helpful. Please share how you have dealt/helped deal with this issue in your state. Thank you!
I work as a pharmacy tech in a chain store, and most of that profit from RX’s goes to the PBMs and pharma. My manager at my location has us pushing our prescrbing services (SABA, Epinephrine, Anti-emetics, etc.) and vaccines because our average profit from a prescription is $0.61. Sixty-one cents. That doesn’t even pay for the bottle it comes in.
PBMs are squeezing everyone, and drug shortages caused by manufacturers and government affect the independents first, solely because chains get preference from suppliers. That’s not right either, and is a huge problem.
I don’t know of many independents in this area, actually. Just a handful of specialty pharmacies that do compounding, because we don’t anymore.
Some of these pharmacies, particularly those affiliated with or dispensed inside hospitals, have a list of medications they will prescribe. While there are alternatives that may be better for some people or preferred by certain doctors, if they are not on the list they more or less won’t fill them.
I suppose the same is true for many pharmacies. If the insurance doesn’t have it on their list, it is too expensive to keep in stock.
I was prescribed a new anticoagulant. The old one works fine it was generic. The doctor said to try the new one. Co-pay was $400. I went back to the doctor and said give me the old one.
America a needs a completely free-market health-system, based on cash, outside of government regulations, to grow along-side our corrupt, bloated, expensive one, which will soon collapse.
Give Americans the choice of both.
Perhaps Indians can run them next to casinos on their reservations.
Bkmk
They say 1 out of 5 kids have food insecurity. I don’t believe most of that...cause we would have kids starving out in the streets or in the hospitals... Most of the kids are overweight...some are pre-diabetic. They worry about being fat shamed....there are poor kids but I haven’t seen one skin and bones type. Not in any civilized country.
If one truly cares about undernourished kids,,,check out the local charitable food bank and chip in or find a private organization that truly tries to help hungry people....at least your honest contribution won’t go to some overpaid government food administrator...
work as a pharmacy tech in a chain store, and most of that profit from RX’s goes to the PBMs and pharma
************************************
Not only are those profits going to PBMs and pharma, that money is also being spread around “elsewhere.”
The articles currently available at Alabama Examiner contain a LOT of information!
Appreciate your sharing!
Your last line is prophetic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.