NCPA Laments Decision Allowing UnitedHealthcare Merger
Ruling is a setback for patients and independent pharmacies, says National Community Pharmacists Association
The National Community Pharmacists Association today released the following statement on behalf of CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA in response to a federal court ruling clearing the way for insurance giant UnitedHealthcare to acquire medical data firm Change Healthcare:
“We would like to thank the Department of Justice for meeting with us, listening to our concerns, and fighting to block two dominant companies from becoming even more dominant. We are deeply disappointed in Judge Carl Nichols’ decision, which we believe will ultimately lead to less competition and consumer harm in the form of patient steering, less access, and higher costs.
“With its insurance business, its pharmacy benefit manager business, and its mail-order pharmacy business, UnitedHealthcare is already a three-headed dragon and one of the worst actors in the market. The acquisition of the Change Healthcare will give it a massive advantage over its competitors, and it will create an irresistible incentive for the insurance company to use patient data to steer business to its own pharmacy, and away from local, small-business pharmacies.”
NCPA has been fighting the merger since last year. Visit the NCPA Legal Center to learn more about its efforts.
Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing nearly 19,400 pharmacies that employ approximately 215,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America’s most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
Filed under: General Problems
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