Both CVS and Walgreens demanded that the other be excluded from CareSource, Ohio's largest Medicaid provider, causing 272 pharmacies to be cut from the network, Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran told The Columbus Dispatch.
Ms. Corcoran said CareSource, the state's biggest contractor, told her about the two retail pharmacy giants' demands, but both CVS and Walgreens denied her claim, the Dispatch reported.
CareSource would not answer questions from the Dispatch regarding either pharmacy company, but its business negotiations with CVS and Walgreens have caused it to cut 272 pharmacies from its network, which serves almost 3 million poor Ohioans.
"CareSource exceeds all pharmacy access requirements established by the state and federal government. We provide a high-quality network with convenient access for members to get their medications as cost effectively as possible while being mindful of taxpayer dollars," a CareSource spokesperson told the Dispatch.
CVS and Walgreens both told the Dispatch that they did not demand the other be removed from the network.
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