{"id":49722,"date":"2022-10-18T01:01:43","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/ahf-to-protest-cigna-for-shortchanging-pharmacies-cigna-doesnt-care\/"},"modified":"2022-10-18T01:01:43","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T23:01:43","slug":"ahf-to-protest-cigna-for-shortchanging-pharmacies-cigna-doesnt-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/ahf-to-protest-cigna-for-shortchanging-pharmacies-cigna-doesnt-care\/","title":{"rendered":"AHF to Protest CIGNA for Shortchanging Pharmacies: \u2018Cigna Doesn\u2019t Care!\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\nTuesday, October 18th @ 11:00 am Cigna HQ, Bloomfield, CT\n<\/p>\n

\nHealthcare advocates from across the country will protest at the corporate offices of Cigna to stand up against the company\u2019s Express Scripts\u2019 pharmacy benefits manager (PBM)<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\nAdvocates will protest nation\u2019s 2nd<\/sup> largest PBM over unfair charges to, and claw backs from independent pharmacies that negatively impact patient care for those living with HIV and other critical illnesses<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

BLOOMFIELD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Healthcare advocates from across the country affiliated with AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF<\/a>) will protest unethical charges and actions by Cigna<\/a> via its pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), Express Scripts<\/a>, to independent and specialty pharmacies providing the sensitive, lifesaving medical needs of individuals living with HIV and other critical illnesses. The protest will take place Tuesday, October 18th<\/sup> in front of Cigna\u2019s corporate headquarters in Bloomfield, CT.\n<\/p>\n

\nExpress Scripts, the second largest PBM in the US, controls 24% of the market according to Becker\u2019s Hospital Review<\/a>. In December, 2018, Cigna paid $67 billion<\/a> to acquire Express Scripts, making it one of the nation\u2019s largest combination medical insurance companies and PBMs.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\nWHAT:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nHealth advocates PROTEST Cigna over abuses by its Express Scripts PBM<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nWHERE:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nCigna Corporate Headquarters, intersection of Simsbury Rd. & N. Main St., Bloomfield (Avon), CT<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nWHEN:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nTuesday, October 18, 2022. 11:00 a.m. (ET)<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nWHY:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nCigna\u2019s Express Scripts has been unethically charging arbitrary penalties and fees to independent and specialty pharmacies providing the lifesaving medicines to those living with HIV and other critical illnesses<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nWHO:<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n25-30 Healthcare advocates with AHF from across the country<\/b>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\nAHF ONSITE CONNECTICUT CONTACTS:\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nW. Imara Canady,<\/b> +1.770.940.6555- cell Imara.Canady@aidshealth.org<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

\n\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\nRasheed Gonga, <\/b>+1.201.241.0927 mobile Rasheed.gonga@ahf.org<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\nCigna\u2019s Express Scripts PBM and rivals CVS Caremark and OptumRx have disproportionately impacted access to care for those living with critical illnesses by adding arbitrary penalties and fees to small, independent pharmacies, which has resulted in many patients not having their medicines covered at their pharmacy of choice, thus causing many to fall out of care.\n<\/p>\n

\nPharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which began as a way to help patients access drugs they need, have spiraled out of control, with just 3 PBMs\u2014CVS Caremark, Cigna\u2019s Express Scripts and OptumRx\u2014now controlling over 75% of the US market.\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cOur David and Goliath battle between independent and smaller pharmacies and PBMs continues with this Cigna protest in Bloomfield Tuesday,\u201d stated Tracy Jones<\/b>, National Director for Grassroots Mobilization Initiatives for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. \u201cCigna\u2019s actions rob specialty and independent pharmacies that many patients depend on, preventing those pharmacies from providing the lifesaving medicines and services patients need. The situation has gotten so out of hand that we must continue to speak out against PBM abuses and health care consolidation to help protect struggling smaller mom and pop and independent pharmacies nationwide.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\nA concise 3-minute PBM explainer video neatly distills the complex issue into easily understood language and imagery can be found here: (direct YouTube link<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n

\nAHF Pharmacies are vital to AHF\u2019s mission to provide cutting edge medicine and advocacy regardless of the ability to pay. Our pharmacists and staff work tirelessly with AHF medical providers to keep people living with HIV healthy and virally suppressed. PBMs interfere with that model of care. PBMs are parasitic middlemen that bring no value to patients, creating pharmacy deserts across the United States, as they steadily squeeze specialty pharmacies, preventing patients insured by their parent companies from using specialized pharmacies like AHF\u2019s. They also engage in \u201ctake or leave it\u201d contracts that force \u201cclaw back\u201d payments known cryptically as \u201cdirect and indirect remuneration\u201d (DIR) fees.\n<\/p>\n

\nAIDS Healthcare Foundation<\/b> (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and\/or services to over 1.6 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America\/Caribbean, the Asia\/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org<\/a>, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com\/aidshealth<\/a> and follow us @aidshealthcare<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Contacts<\/b> <\/p>\n

\nW. Imara Canady,<\/b> National Director, Communications & Community Engagement for AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) +1.770.940.6555- cell Imara.Canady@aidshealth.org<\/a>
Rasheed Gonga, <\/b>Advocacy, Legislative Affairs & Community Engagement for AHF +1.201.241.0927 mobile Rasheed.gonga@ahf.org<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, October 18th @ 11:00 am Cigna HQ, Bloomfield, CT Healthcare advocates from across the country will protest at the corporate offices of Cigna to stand up against the company\u2019s Express Scripts\u2019 pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) Advocates will protest nation\u2019s 2nd largest PBM over unfair charges to, and claw backs from independent pharmacies that negatively … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-business","4":"post-49722","6":"format-standard","7":"category-industry"},"yoast_head":"\nAHF to Protest CIGNA for Shortchanging Pharmacies: \u2018Cigna Doesn\u2019t Care!\u2019 - Pharma Trend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pharma-trend.com\/en\/ahf-to-protest-cigna-for-shortchanging-pharmacies-cigna-doesnt-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AHF to Protest CIGNA for Shortchanging Pharmacies: \u2018Cigna Doesn\u2019t Care!\u2019 - Pharma Trend\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tuesday, October 18th @ 11:00 am Cigna HQ, Bloomfield, CT Healthcare advocates from across the country will protest at the corporate offices of Cigna to stand up against the company\u2019s Express Scripts\u2019 pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) Advocates will protest nation\u2019s 2nd largest PBM over unfair charges to, and claw backs from independent pharmacies that negatively ... 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