Wal-Mart takes on Medicaid

[waggy]

http:/money.cnn.com

EW YORK (CNNMoney) -- For the first time in its history, the nation's largest retailer Wal-Mart is coming face-to-face with the nation's largest insurer, Medicaid.

Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) is partnering with the Arkansas Children's Hospital to provide legal support for Medicaid patients and their families, free of charge.

This type of arrangement means Wal-Mart's lawyers will be taking on the government and other entities in order to help sick children get access to programs, services and equipment that they have been denied.

Wal-Mart's general counsel Jeff Gearhart said the company's in-house team of 142 lawyers will help patients with an array of issues associated with Medicaid, a jointly-funded Federal and state health insurance program that covers about 44 million low-income people, including children and special needs patients.

For the most part, he said the bulk of cases Wal-Mart's attorneys will work on can be resolved through due diligence, requiring a few hours of pro bono legal time.

Only rarely will any case proceed to litigation, he said.

For instance. Tackling Medicaid's administrative and bureaucratic hurdles are on Wal-Mart's list

"Families on Medicaid are hit with a myriad of red tape when they're in the hospital," Gearhart said.

So Wal-Mart lawyers are being trained to help families navigate Medicaid in basic ways, such as filling out the right forms, and in more complex ways such as procuring insurance for expensive treatments and medical devices like specialized wheelchairs.



lol good for walmart. about time we hear something positive. Good for walmart of using there power for something positive.

 

[rivan]

The cynic in me says this is just PR for WalMart, and if they were really passionate about kids getting proper medical care, they could start by offering decent health insurance to their legions of workers. But that would cost whole lot more than a few free lawyers.

The less cynical part of me says good for them. Medicaid can be an absolute nightmare of paperwork.

 

[Vette73]

The cynic in me says this is just PR for WalMart, and if they were really passionate about kids getting proper medical care, they could start by offering decent health insurance to their legions of workers. But that would cost whole lot more than a few free lawyers.

The less cynical part of me says good for them. Medicaid can be an absolute nightmare of paperwork.

Same thing i thought as well and I use to work for wal-mart a long time ago.

 

[Modelworks]

Anyone know how much wal-mart makes off people filling medicaid prescriptions in wal-mart pharmacies ?

 

[waggy]

Anyone know how much wal-mart makes off people filling medicaid prescriptions in wal-mart pharmacies ?

i would say as much as any other fucking pharmacy.


i should have known better. people here can't see anything else besides "walmart" and go into bash mode.

 

[rudder]

The cynic in me says this is just PR for WalMart, and if they were really passionate about kids getting proper medical care, they could start by offering decent health insurance to their legions of workers. But that would cost whole lot more than a few free lawyers.

The less cynical part of me says good for them. Medicaid can be an absolute nightmare of paperwork.

Seeing as walmart uses medicaid as their health plan... maybe this is a way to give back a little.

 

[Ghiedo27]

I think it's fair to say that there's self interest involved and that there's nothing wrong with that. Walmart has lawyers on staff and (apparently) a lot more prescriptions can be sold if they do "a few hours of pro bono legal time." Cost-benefit just lines up for them and the people who need the medication. It's a great thing for everyone.

 

[96Firebird]

Seeing as walmart uses medicaid as their health plan... maybe this is a way to give back a little.

:thumbsup:

 

[Vette73]

i would say as much as any other fucking pharmacy.


i should have known better. people here can't see anything else besides "walmart" and go into bash mode.

Oh sorry; this is a bash the Gov thread then.

 

[Vette73]

I think it's fair to say that there's self interest involved and that there's nothing wrong with that. Walmart has lawyers on staff and (apparently) a lot more prescriptions can be sold if they do "a few hours of pro bono legal time." Cost-benefit just lines up for them and the people who need the medication. It's a great thing for everyone.

Not everyone, the tax payer is the one left holding the bag.

Wal-mart employees have a much higher rate of using medicaid then most other business's. If they really want to help then offer better health insurance that the employees can afford instead of dumping them on the States/Fed govs roles that you and I pay for.

 

[rivan]

i should have known better. people here can't see anything else besides "walmart" and go into bash mode.

You don't see anything self-serving about this?

 

[waggy]

Not everyone, the tax payer is the one left holding the bag.

Wal-mart employees have a much higher rate of using medicaid then most other business's. If they really want to help then offer better health insurance that the employees can afford instead of dumping them on the States/Fed govs roles that you and I pay for.

walmart also hires more then any other business except for the gov.

lol i really don't get t he walmart bashing they pay min wage and hire a lot of high school/college kids, retired people and others for 2nd jobs. wich means they need weird hours. Wich walmart gives.

when i was in college walmart and target were it. they would give me the wierd hours i needed. both paid the same and offered the same benefits (both sucked ass. i could get insurance but it was to expensive)

 

[Vette73]

walmart also hires more then any other business except for the gov.

lol i really don't get t he walmart bashing they pay min wage and hire a lot of high school/college kids, retired people and others for 2nd jobs. wich means they need weird hours. Wich walmart gives.

when i was in college walmart and target were it. they would give me the wierd hours i needed. both paid the same and offered the same benefits (both sucked ass. i could get insurance but it was to expensive)

No they hire a lot of people where THAT is their job. They then offer lowwer pay and a joke of benifits. They then have to use state/fed services to make up the short fall.

AGAIN I use to work at wal-mart. Yes there are a lot of "kids" and older people but there are a lot more trying to keep a roof over their head and pay their bills.

 

[jhu]

No they hire a lot of people where THAT is their job. They then offer lowwer pay and a joke of benifits. They then have to use state/fed services to make up the short fall.

AGAIN I use to work at wal-mart. Yes there are a lot of "kids" and older people but there are a lot more trying to keep a roof over their head and pay their bills.

Wait a minute. That's what the Europeans do too.

 

[Modelworks]

i would say as much as any other fucking pharmacy.


i should have known better. people here can't see anything else besides "walmart" and go into bash mode.

Walmart is a business . Walmart does nothing that does not benefit the bottom line , whether that is cheap labor or closing local manufacturers all that matters is profit. Sam Walton would blow up the corporate building if he were alive today and saw what they did with his stores.

 

[nanette1985]

walmart's also trying to minimize the time that medicade patients spend at walmart pharmacy asking questions trying to figure out what the heck medicade is paying for. If you've never dealt with medicade you have no idea how impossible it is to get answers from them, and how much you depend on your pharmicist.

walmart will save a lot of money if they can cut down on the time their pharmacists have to waste dealing with this.

 

[robphelan]

If ACH is involved, I guarantee this is above-board and a good thing for the community.

 

[sactoking]

Not everything Walmart does is awful and self-serving. Here, the two Walmarts partnered with the local hospital to open hospital-run clinics in the Walmarts. They offer basic medical care, it frees up the hospital emergency room for emergencies, and it is MUCH cheaper than the urgent care places.

 

[blackangst1]

The cynic in me says this is just PR for WalMart, and if they were really passionate about kids getting proper medical care, they could start by offering decent health insurance to their legions of workers. But that would cost whole lot more than a few free lawyers.

The less cynical part of me says good for them. Medicaid can be an absolute nightmare of paperwork.

I hope you also realize Bill Gates doesnt give a shit about kids in Africa or global health. He does it for PR and tax write offs.

 

[SAWYER]

Walmart does a ton for local charities and organizations, more than any of their competitors can say.

 

[AlienCraft]

The cynic in me says this is just PR for WalMart, and if they were really passionate about kids getting proper medical care, they could start by offering decent health insurance to their legions of workers. But that would cost whole lot more than a few free lawyers.

The less cynical part of me says good for them. Medicaid can be an absolute nightmare of paperwork.

:thumbsup:
I know they're only doing this in order to secure more, new business.

 

[AlienCraft]

I hope you also realize Bill Gates doesnt give a shit about kids in Africa or global health. He does it for PR and tax write offs.

You don't know that for sure.
People have feelings.
Corporations do not.

 

[Lifted]

seeing as walmart uses medicaid as their health plan... Maybe this is a way to give back a little.

bwahahahahahaaaa

 

[smitbret]

Why do all the Wal-Mart bashers think that Wal-Mart is a frickin' charity? I work somewhere besides Wal-Mart and my insurance is outrageously expensive, too. Welcome to the real world. It's a free market. Any Wal-mart employee that thinks the pay is too low and the insurance to high is free to go work anywhere else that will take their limited skill set.

Bunch of Socialists on this board.

 

[jupiter57]

i would say as much as any other fucking pharmacy.


i should have known better. people here can't see anything else besides "walmart" and go into bash mode.

I am not about to bash Wal-Mart, I use their stores a lot.
However, they are much as any other supplier when it comes to the Government.
Case in point: Not MediCAID, but MediCARE: I take an NSAID called Mobic for my Arthritis, WM charges me $4 for 30 capsules (without insurance). Neighbor takes the exact same thing, same strength, WM charges his Medicare account $85 for the exact same thing. He pays ~$20 out-of-pocket!

It seems to me that Big Medicine utilizes Medicaid & Medicare as a big cash cow, and will fight to the end to save that extra lucrative income.