This post brought to you by Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.
Health is wealth! We can't do the things we want or achieve our desires if we are not feeling good! And for times that we are ill or in pain, we are looking for a better pharmacy that will ease difficulties not only in our body but in our pocket as well!
That's why, there is Walgreens Prescription Saving Clubs which help the patients in many ways! In what ways does it help the people to feel good after pain?! Who are affected and how we can benefit from it?! Well, allow me to let you know about this exciting great deal
Walgreens and Express Script join hand in giving patients good feelings. Let me tell you a quick glimpse on how these two merged! For the past year, Walgreens has negotiated with Express Scripts for a new contract to continue as part of its pharmacy provider network. Those negotiations were unsuccessful, and the contract expired on Dec. 31. As a result, Walgreens is no longer part of Express Scripts’ pharmacy provider network as of Jan. 1, 2012. This includes all Walgreens pharmacies nationwide and Duane Reade pharmacies in the New York City area.
This situation of forcing pharmacy patients to go elsewhere to use their in-network pharmacy benefits was unnecessary. Express Scripts’ actions are causing disruption with no significant benefit to patients or their health plan. Patients covered by an Express Scripts plan now find themselves not only having to change their pharmacists, but many are having to drive farther to get prescriptions filled at pharmacies with less convenient hours for their hectic schedules. Walgreens offers more 24-hour and drive-thru pharmacies than any other pharmacy in the country.
And patients are not seeing their costs go down in exchange for the increased hassle they’re being subject to. It’s all pain with no gain.
During negotiations, Walgreens offered to hold rates for a new contract flat and did not seek an increase in rates. The response from Express Scripts was to insist on being able to unilaterally define contract terms, such as what does and does not constitute a brand and generic drug. Express Scripts also proposed to slash Walgreens reimbursement rates to levels below the industry average cost to provide each prescription. Until finally, these two once more joined hands!
xpress Scripts acts as a middleman between pharmacies providing the health care service and employers and health plans who pay for the medications. Because Express Scripts is the middleman, most payers don’t see the rates Express Scripts pays to Walgreens. They only know what they pay Express Scripts. When they do see what Walgreens is paid, many health plans and employers are making decisions to continue to ensure access to Walgreens because they find our prices to be competitive and believe that we can lower overall health care costs.
Express Scripts continues to gain financially from its position as a middleman as its profits have grown at a rate more than two times the average of peers in health care. Historically brokers in a marketplace take a percentage of the cost of a product for putting the buyer and seller in contact. In Express Scripts’ case, the broker is growing profits faster than the provider of the service. When the middleman is more profitable than the providers, the relationship is out of balance.
Beyond the contract issues, this issue between Express Scripts and Walgreens is really about the value of your local community pharmacy. Express Scripts wants customers to use their own mail order pharmacy business instead of your community pharmacy whenever possible. This could threaten all community drugstores in your area. Remember, community pharmacies are a valuable presence in your neighborhood when you need a pain medication as you leave the emergency room at 2 a.m., or need a flu shot and haven’t been able to get to the doctor’s office. Community pharmacies are often the first point of entry for many people into the health care system, and the value they provide by lowering overall health care costs should be recognized by Express Scripts.
Then how is Walgreens doing to help ease the customer's burden?! Well, they are offering a special discount on annual membership for its Prescription Savings Club. The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club give different offer discounts. For $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, including a spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets. Individuals may join for $5. Join and receive discount prices on your prescriptions.
What more Walgreens give?! Other benefits include savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications. Another thing is discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies. And of course, bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services!
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