The new year will make it harder for tens of thousands of senior citizens throughout Arkansas to access the lowest-cost prescription medications on their Medicare prescription drug program.
This low-cost access problem is being caused by the Medicare Part D program's "preferred network" provision, which excludes many patients' pharmacists and pharmacies of choice from contractually being able to offer the lowest possible co-pays to the patient.
The problem is magnified in rural areas throughout Arkansas where the closest "preferred" pharmacy may be a 30-minute drive from the patient's home.
Take for example patient Mary S., who is a 71-year-old retiree living in Sheridan. She is enrolled in the popular WellCare Classic Medicare Part D plan.
Despite there being three pharmacies within one mile of her house in Sheridan, including the pharmacy she has used for the last 30 years, the closest preferred pharmacy for Mary is a 25-minute drive away in White Hall.
She must make the long drive to White Hall or pay a higher co-pay to use her pharmacy in Sheridan.
Many seniors in Arkansas also enroll in the Humana Enhanced Medicare Part D plan with the promise that they can save money at a preferred pharmacy. John L. is 80 years old and lives in Piggott. His local pharmacy that he has used for years delivers to his house because he has a hard time driving.
Unfortunately, for him to have access to a local preferred pharmacist, he will be forced to drive 25 minutes each way to Kennett, Mo., or 30 minutes each way to Corning, or he will have to pay more for his prescription medications if he uses his provider of choice.
In fact, every plan operating in the state is using preferred pharmacies in their Medicare plans, including Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield.
For 2018, the Blue Cross plan removed a large number of locally owned independent pharmacies around the state from their preferred pharmacy list that were previously preferred in 2017, in addition to locally owned pharmacies with multiple locations such as Harps Pharmacies and AllCare Pharmacies.
The preferred-pharmacy provision in the Medicare prescription drug program needs to change. Many patients use the same pharmacy for years or even decades and cultivate a strong bond with their pharmacist who can keep those patients adherent to their medication and improve overall health.
They should be able to retain access to their pharmacist provider of choice at the lowest cost and maintain that bond that will help them stay engaged in their own health and well-being.
Additionally, the current Medicare Part D plans need to allow any willing pharmacy to participate in their networks as a preferred pharmacy instead of the plans choosing which pharmacies patients can use.
Health care will only work when patients retain access to the health-care provider of their choice. Medicare patients deserve for their choices to be respected and their health care uninterrupted.
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Scott Pace is a local pharmacist and is the CEO of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association.
Editorial on 01/04/2018