| Family owned pharmacies are not getting enough money from Medicaid to keep their businesses afloat. Hundreds of local pharmacists are gathering together for a Thursday night meeting. Independent owned pharmacies are struggling to keep their doors open due to managed care. Bobby Muniz, a pharmacist in Harlingen, said this is a problem that should be addressed. Munoz Rio Grande Valley Pharmacy is a family owned business that has been operating for 23 years. Since March 1, Muniz said pharmacies like his have been forced to shut down due to Medicaid not giving them enough money to support their small business. "Basically what's happening is reimbursement rates are really low with Medicaid," said Muniz. "The reimbursement rates that I'm seeing are $2, $1.50, sometimes $0. So if I don't get reimbursed correctly, at least $12.50, I'm losing money." According to Muniz, the only reason their pharmacy has stayed open is due to the variety of patients that do not have Medicaid, and that have other forms of insurance or that pay cash for their medications. The Thursday night meeting will address this issue at the McAllen Convention Center at 7 pm Lawmakers, pharmacists and the public have all been invited to this meeting. Organizers expect as many as 500 people to show. |
