One Pharmacy Charges $17.92 for a $7 Drug, The Other Charges $8,000 and the government health plan pays it.
We lost a patient to a $0 copay today.
They left our pharmacy because we charged $17.92 for their medication — a drug that costs us $7 to buy. They found it “free” at Giant Eagle, Inc. , Giant Eagle Inc. with a $0 copay. When we transferred the prescription, we asked the other pharmacist what they billed insurance. They said they billed $10,000 and were paid around $8,000.
Let that sink in:
The same drug.
The same bottle.
But one pharmacy gets paid $8,000, while we charge $17.92 — and somehow we’re the ones who lose the patient.
This wasn’t a private insurance plan — this was Medicare/Medicaid money.
So taxpayers just spent thousands for something worth seven bucks.
Who’s at fault here?
👉CMS for allowing anyone to get away with this
👉 The PBM, for allowing $8,000 of taxpayer dollars to be wasted on a $7 drug?
👉 Or the pharmacy (Giant Eagle, Inc.), for billing our government $10,000 for a $7 drug?
