I think you are reading more into my comment than it was intended to convey.
I really hate to burst your bubble, but . . .
You are implying that Walgreens' actually gets paid for the cost of the drug. They do not. They get paid a dispensing fee for drugs purchased by Pharmacy Benefit managers who pay the drug manufacturers. Walgreens does own a PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager), but their pharmacies only income from insurance claims is the cost of dispensing the drug <$2 per script, or charging the full price for those people who have no drug coverage available. It's all volume to them.
You can't bust my bubble.... I don't have one.
I reread my post. Still don't see a comment on that topic... implied or otherwise. Unless you are interpreting "getting the prescription paid" as implying profit.
My meaning... if product goes out the door with one of their
customers, I am sure they will want paid for it.... if a customer is not enrolled and can't pay, they have a plan to get the person covered and therefore paid. That is about it.
But that is not the part I would be concerned with... it is the other issue.
How their model works how the account for a particular store's profitability. Frankly, I wasn't thinking about that part of it. It wasn't the point.
This is a recipe for disaster. To be available for instant coverage, as you imply, leads to fraud.
Insurance companies who work with states to provide coverage to the poor (above Medicaid poverty level) have found themselves in a significant losing situation because the beneficiaries add and drop plans when they need coverage. Who pays when an insurance company loses millions due to this kind of instant coverage? You do in your private employers' health plan costs, no retirement benefits, or perhaps lower salaries than market because your employer has to cut costs to provide you with health insurance coverage.
I am not implying anything about fraud....
Just speculation on how it might work. They would call it a marketing program through a sales channel BTW.
If I remember correctly, one of the key aspects of that legislation to try to keep costs low. Self service is currently the lowest cost approach. Just above that is a call center with people pooled in a central location.
I would expect (hope) that people would have to do to verify who they are, information about them to prove eligibility. Especially to prove eligibility for that tax credit.
Look at how medicare part d coverage is provided. From what I saw with my mother it was all done online and over the phone. No face to face interaction with an agent... a little with a call center of a few items.
It's called a commission. Insurance agents collect one every time they sign up a customer. Unethical agents will do what you imply; companies do not knowingly provide commission schedules that induce fraud and state insurance commissioners will not allow them to operate in their state if they do.
Yes states require a licensed agent to sell insurance... I don't think it has changed.
Not sure how the detail of the program (those health insurance exchanges) and the qualification for a tax credit will work yet. But, I kinda assumed for the insurer choice it would be a direct model (online or order info or application over the phone) and call if you have questions oriented... to keep costs down. That seems to be the way medicare part D works....
However, those exchanges have not been implemented yet (and could be a little different for each state... since the states are implementing them)... and more specifically how walgreens and their partner insurance companies might implement that program.... for that matter what the Walgreens program even is... was pure speculation.
You're gettin' mighty wound up about it. Do you work for Walgreens?
My concern... in a nutshell is cost. Since taxpayers will be footing the bill for those that can't pay the full freight.... I would prefer the overall program to be devoid of marketing... note: I am not talking about providing information... I am talking about a sales job to convince someone to buy a specific product from a specific company where they profit by the sale... or the exclusion of other providers (thereby reducing competition). Clear enough?
But it is unclear what it is... I suppose we will see soon enough.