Deep Medicaid cuts and what it means

[MrBonita]

Dear fellow pharmacist. We should all be concerned if the proposed health care bill is to pass. Deep cuts in Medicaid means all pharmacy businesses will take hits. I posted two links. The first link explains the possibility of 700 hospitals closing. Of course those hospitals employ pharmacist, so that could effect you or future pharmacy prospects from finding a hospital job. Second article explains those excluded from the Medicaid. It is obvious that pharmacies that serve a huge portion of Medicaid patients will likely be hurting badly and likely closing. Keep a close eye on this bill, and for your sake, do what you can to prevent it from passing.


Deep cuts to Medicaid put rural hospitals in the crosshairs

Senate Health Care Bill Includes Deep Cuts to Medicaid

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[UGAZ]

Nothing is going to happen. The politicians are all talk, no action. Relax, sit back and watch the circus run.

 

[Baalzeebub]

Nothing is going to happen. The politicians are all talk, no action. Relax, sit back and watch the circus run.

so there are 2 bills fully written and proposed to repeal and replace the ACA. There is 1 in the House and 1 in the Senate, both with large support and will probably merge and be voted on within the next 2 weeks. I would hardly call that all talk and no action.

 

[Prepharm1214]

Medicaid scripts are basically filled at a loss due to poor reimbursement, I'm not concerned

 

[lord999]

If I were in a chain, I would be as the model is made around those patients for certain stores. If I were in an EMTALA hospital, I would be because that just means that much more non-reimbursed care. Not in either, so I don't care. Sooner or later, there has to be a reckoning on this issue as the tax base won't support it.

On the plus side, you'll all be getting MOAR VA patients due to this! Good luck getting a bunch of paperwork to get reimbursed for pathetic rates. Don't worry about Rambo types, we're still the responsible party for mental health care, but we just can't deal with the demand for primary care, women's health, and specialty care loads in either the major cities and especially the middle of nowhere.

 

[genesis09]

Medicaid scripts are basically filled at a loss due to poor reimbursement, I'm not concerned

Not in Wisconsin. We have a $15 professional filling fee for low volume pharmacies and $10 for high volume. It was given in exchange for acquisition based drug reimbursement. Nothing like filling a drug worth $1 and receiving $16 for it. You get the full amount even if it is just a Rx for one tablet.

 

[Sine Cura]

People don't even want to work at these "certain stores" that are located in these medically and socioeconomically impoverished areas anyway

 

[Dred Pirate]

People don't even want to work at these "certain stores" that are located in these medically and socioeconomically impoverished areas anyway

When I worked retail I would work in the low income places any day over the ritsy suburbs
In general the lower income people appreciated your more, didn't question you all the time, plus where never in a hurry ("I have to get to the airport, it is your fault I am out of refills). Obviously this is a generalization - but in general I dealt with less BS in the low income, high medicaid, population areas.

 

[Lnsean]

Walgreens doesn't even take half the Medicaid plans in my state because we fill these scripts at a loss...that's how bad the reimbursements are.

 

[Lnsean]

When I worked retail I would work in the low income places any day over the ritsy suburbs
In general the lower income people appreciated your more, didn't question you all the time, plus where never in a hurry ("I have to get to the airport, it is your fault I am out of refills). Obviously this is a generalization - but in general I dealt with less BS in the low income, high medicaid, population areas.

I tend to agree. Although, they also tend to be more needy...and I think the sense of entitlement...over time...has gotten really bad. I had one lady toss a pack of Medicaid cards at me and told me to "sort" it out. She has like 5 kids and doesn't know which cards she needed and for which kid.

 

[Sine Cura]

Entitlement amplifies the absurdity of working at ratchet-ass stores. "Medi-Cal covers everything."

 

[SoylentGreen]

When I worked retail I would work in the low income places any day over the ritsy suburbs
In general the lower income people appreciated your more, didn't question you all the time, plus where never in a hurry ("I have to get to the airport, it is your fault I am out of refills). Obviously this is a generalization - but in general I dealt with less BS in the low income, high medicaid, population areas.

I agree, I live in a college town with poor townies, and I'd rather deal with Medicaid patients or even junkies than arrogant professors. I work on the poor side of town and I would not want to transfer to the other side.

 

[JustAnotherRph]

I think it's all talk. Medicaid and Medicare make States money. The States won't allow that to happen.

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

Medicaid scripts are basically filled at a loss due to poor reimbursement, I'm not concerned

Those medicaid patients buy soda, food and other home goods junk while waiting at the store.