Blue Cross, Shoppers concur on drug reimbursements

Medavie Blue Cross and Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Atlantic Canada have reached a tentative deal that would grant customers to continue to get reimbursed for their prescriptions at the pharmacies.

The two sides had been at loggerheads over how much Blue Cross was willing to pay pharmacies to help cover the cost of prescription drugs. Shoppers Drug Mart had threatened that on Monday, most of its pharmacies in the region would stop accepting Blue Cross cards for direct pay service.

Blue Cross, which had recommended its policyholders switch to a drug store chain that accepted their card, and Shoppers Drug Mart resumed speaks on Friday. Their agreement must now be finalized by Shoppers Drug Mart associate-owners in the coming days.

Jeff May, senior vice-president of professional affairs for Shoppers Drug Mart, stated the company felt it was important to continue offering its customers the convenience of direct pay service at their pharmacies.

“This tentative agreement will grant these pharmacies to maintain the level of service their patients have come to expect, including the electronic processing of Medavie Blue Cross payments,” May stated in a statement released Friday night.

If the dispute had not been settled, customers could still have had their prescriptions filled at Shoppers Drug Mart locations but would have been forced to pay for the full bill and get reimbursed later by the insurance company.

Laurier Fecteau, senior vice-president of Medavie Blue Cross, stated the two sides still have a few details to iron out on how the agreement will proceed.

“While discussions will continue over the coming days, we have reached an agreement that will grant all Medavie plan members to continue to have their cards honoured by all Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Atlantic Canada, which is in the ideal interests of everyone concerned,” Fecteau stated in a statement.

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Submited at Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 9:00 am on Health by samantha
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