Change to Win chair and SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger issued the following statement regarding a meeting Wednesday with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz.
"We have asked the FTC to open a full-scale investigation of CVS Caremark's practices and re-examine the company's 2007 merger. The merger of the largest retail pharmacy (CVS) and the second-largest PBM (Caremark) has created the nation's largest provider of prescription services--and serious risks for consumers and health plans. The merged entity presents potential risks in such vital areas as patient privacy, value to health plans, conflicts of interest, and quality of service.
CVS Caremark now has access to patient prescription information on an unprecedented scale--handling almost 1 in 3 of all patient prescriptions in the country.
Change to Win represents workers in CVS Caremark plans that cover more than 10 million people. On behalf of these health plan members, Change to Win is greatly concerned that CVS Caremark could be exploiting its access to a massive amount of private patient information without meaningful consent or knowledge by plan participants.
We delivered to Chairman Leibowitz letters of concern about the merger from health plans and purchasing coalitions that cover more than two million individuals. These frontline payers for health care see the dangers of a pharmacy giant controlling the drug costs and data for their members.
I appreciate the FTC's consideration of our concerns, and Change to Win will continue to sound the alarm about CVS Caremark to safeguard the health and privacy of millions of health care consumers across the nation."
"We have asked the FTC to open a full-scale investigation of CVS Caremark's practices and re-examine the company's 2007 merger. The merger of the largest retail pharmacy (CVS) and the second-largest PBM (Caremark) has created the nation's largest provider of prescription services--and serious risks for consumers and health plans. The merged entity presents potential risks in such vital areas as patient privacy, value to health plans, conflicts of interest, and quality of service.CVS Caremark now has access to patient prescription information on an unprecedented scale--handling almost 1 in 3 of all patient prescriptions in the country.
Change to Win represents workers in CVS Caremark plans that cover more than 10 million people. On behalf of these health plan members, Change to Win is greatly concerned that CVS Caremark could be exploiting its access to a massive amount of private patient information without meaningful consent or knowledge by plan participants.
We delivered to Chairman Leibowitz letters of concern about the merger from health plans and purchasing coalitions that cover more than two million individuals. These frontline payers for health care see the dangers of a pharmacy giant controlling the drug costs and data for their members.
I appreciate the FTC's consideration of our concerns, and Change to Win will continue to sound the alarm about CVS Caremark to safeguard the health and privacy of millions of health care consumers across the nation."