Bill Mincy: Tell legislators to protect pharmacy choice

As we enter into a holiday week many of us will be doing some last-minute shopping and many small business owners will keep their doors open and hope for shoppers to visit. Unfortunately, community pharmacies are going to lose this holiday season, because a large chunk of their patients will no longer be able to come to their pharmacy come Jan. 1.

Most recently, insurance providers have drastically restricted Medicaid Managed Care Networks throughout Florida. Those restrictions are forcing patients to leave their trusted pharmacist and go to a pharmacy their health plan chooses for them. Such unnecessary restrictions limit consumer choice, restrict healthy business competition, and prevent access to community pharmacies.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Administration’s November Managed Medical Assistant Program report, there could be nearly 3.1 million Floridians displaced and forced to change to a pharmacy they have not chosen. Something needs to be done to prevent the expansion of restrictive Medicaid Managed Care pharmacy networks.

Instead of patients and their families being able to focus on their health and getting better, they will be switching pharmacies and may have to drive up to 45 miles to a pharmacy chosen by their insurance provider. That would cause difficulties for Florida’s most vulnerable population, Medicaid recipients, many of whom have transportation challenges, are home-bound, or need special pharmaceutical services only available from their local pharmacy.

We need legislation that will allow patients to choose their pharmacy and fix this flawed approach. We encourage people to reach out to their lawmakers in the state and tell them you want to choose your own pharmacy.

Insurance providers should not be able to dictate which pharmacies we can use. It’s imperative that leaders in the Florida Legislature act quickly to ensure that patients can continue to access their community pharmacies. We need to protect the local businesses in our communities.

That’s just one way to help your home town this holiday season.

Bill Mincy is National Board Chairman and Florida advocate for Pharmacy Choice and Access Now. Column courtesy of Context Florida.