CVS in talks to buy Aetna

This is what it's come too? A drug store buys a health insurer. Now, it makes sense why I was denied Xtandi. And now, JoelT's post from last year, about CVS, is coming to fruition. This is a sad state of affairs, in my opinion.

Joe

[Darryl Partner]

Sign the Petition! change.org/p/cvs-pharmacy-p...

[Dr_WHO in reply to Darryl]

Signed!

[wagscure259 in reply to Darryl]

Signed it !

[CaregiverWife in reply to Darryl]

Signed. Thanks for sharing this link!

[Beermaker]

FWIW, I have been on Xtandi for 3 weeks now at NO COST. My PCa oncologist sent forms in to the manufacturer, and after they got the forms straight, my projected cost dropped from $2500/ month to nothing. The drug is fulfilled by CVS Specialty Drugs and each month is sent to my doorstep. So apparently a fulfillment by CVS is possible. A very complicated situation it seems.

And no, I don't know what the forms were or what they said. I am just happy to not have a very high cost for the drug.

Marshall

[Hidden in reply to Beermaker]

Hi Marshall,

I think I should have made myself clearer as how this effects me. I too get my drug, Zytiga, from CVS Specialty, and my co-pay is $35 a month. My insurer is Aetna. They denied me Xtandi, but approved Zytiga a year ago. I don't think I necessarily want my local drug store, to be my insurer too. (All our scripts go to CVS) I think it's a conflict of interest.

Joe

[cesanon]

In my opinion the merger issue is a bit more complicated than this.

It is a natural product of the confluence of our existing regulatory systems and financial markets. If whoever is running CVS (and that would include anyone reading this) doesn't behave with this same goal seeking behavior, they would soon be relieved from command. At the current time CVS is running scared of Amazon. This is a move borne of fear and desperation (see the link below).

PRO - This combination might perhaps result in squeezing out the Pharmacy Benefits Manager from their ecosystem. These are parasitical organizations that serve as an entry point for financial considerations to take precedence over medical considerations in the making of prescription decisions. They sit in between the insurer and the pharmacy... they extract a lot of money and yet add no value. (it is most likely that a Pharmacy Benefits Manager was the actual entity that was responsible for Joe_Kaminksi's denial).

CON - It appears it will enable them to circumvent the Obamacare 20% cap on insurance company gross profits.

Please don't flame the messenger on the following:

In today's world, most likely CVS represents the good guys. LOL. Honest. In 2014 this very same CVS CEO stopped selling tobacco (the given reason was that it was antithetical to their healthcare mission). Tobacco is a highly profitable profit center in most pharmacies.

You will see the real bad guys when Amazon comes in to compete with CVS and Walgreens. Amazon will for certain ruthlessly limit their formulary, skim off the profitable business, and walk away from dregs (which likely would include expensive cancer medications). They won't look back, they won't give a sh*t.

If I were a betting man, I would bet on this happening well before Elon Musk is able to land on mars or deliver a self driving car. LOL. The industry at least believes it is just around the corner.

For more information on how this all works, and what a Pharmacy Benefits Manager does, here is an article that has a good chart that explains a lot:

businessinsider.com/cvs-aet...