WA State Walgreen’s to Stop Taking New Medicaid Patients

Seattle Times – Walgreens: no new Medicaid patients as of April 16:

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.

And if Walgreen’s was losing money on those Medicaid customers, it means the Medicare shortfall was being subsidized by private health care, as is often claimed. So what will happen if Obamacare wipes out the private health care market? Hat tip to Instapundit.

Previously

• Glendale, AZ Mayo Clinic Stops Taking Medicare
• Are Medicare cuts being subsidized by private health care?