Kroger, which owns Fred Meyer, said it's terminating its pharmacy agreement with Express Scripts starting in January. The split will impact thousands of Alaskans insured through companies such as TRICARE, Cigna and Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska.
Beginning in January, many Alaskans may no longer be able to go to Fred Meyer pharmacies to pick up their prescriptions.set to end at the end of 2022 between Express Scripts and Kroger, Fred Meyer’s parent company. Express Scripts is a pharmacy benefits manager, a company that acts as an intermediary between many local pharmacies and major health insurance companies to handle reimbursements.
“It is not unusual for there to be posturing between the two parties as they negotiate,” Lori Wing-Heier, director of the Alaska Division of Insurance, said in an email. She said no contract termination had yet been registered with the state. A spokesperson with Express Scripts said she couldn’t disclose how many Alaskans were serviced by the company.
Fred Meyer represents only 8% of pharmacies in Alaska, Lansford said, and every city with a Fred Meyer pharmacy also has one other in-network pharmacy Premera members can use. Meanwhile, the workload for non-Kroger pharmacies in Fairbanks will likely increase by about 25%, Nelson predicted, causing backlogs in prescription transfers that translate to delayed wait times for patients.
She said her biggest priority over the coming weeks will be helping Alaskans figure out how to quickly navigate the potential changes to where they can access care.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Here's what happens to SF's 500 tons of Christmas treesEvery day between January 2nd and January 15th, twenty trucks sweep through every...
Read more »
Thousands of Alaskans haven’t received food stamps in months, with no relief in sightThousands of Alaskans haven’t received food stamps in months, and there's no relief in sight as the state Division of Public Assistance contends with an unprecedented backlog of applications and a staffing shortage.
Read more »
How the January 6 panel unearthed key details from little-known insiders | CNN PoliticsThe story of January 6 has largely focused on a cast of very prominent characters, including former President Donald Trump and members of his inner circle who have become household names, like his former attorney Rudy Giuliani and his White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Read more »
Torchlight: Infinite Will Launch Season 2 In JanuaryXDGames announced the latest season coming to TorchlightInfinite as they will launch Season 2: Blacksail on January 12th. indiedev indiegame
Read more »
Prime Video Schedule December 26-January 1: New TV & MoviesA funny animated movie is part of the Prime Video schedule for December 26-January 1, among other things added this week.
Read more »