355,000 Sears Employees Lose Their Healthcare

[Elspeth]

I wish all of them would stop the games and just lower their prices. I guess Walgreen's had to get into that game to keep up with the competition.

They can't. The games provide them with another source of income. Basically, you provide your name, address, etc. when you set up the card. Then every time you use the card, your purchases are recorded. Then drug stores, supermarkets, etc. collect this information under your own name and sell it to interested parties, like insurance companies. Your insurer uses that information to raise your rates.

It's all here:

http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/con...#axzz27z2vMbba

and here:

http://www.wnd.com/2002/02/12660/

Here is a site against the use of such cards and data mining:

http://www.nocards.org/

[Novaheart]

This is what those socialists want, to force people into their damned government programs. It's always been the plan, force medical insurance so high for employers that they drop it. Combine that with forcing people to purchase insurance and this is the predictable result.

I hope the Sears and other employees wise up and get out and vote Obama out.

I think we view it differently, but I would agree that the objective is a Single Payer system. This sort of thing was expected along the way.

PLease note that I predicted that Walmart will actually be the driving force behind Single Payer before it's over. Walmart doesn't care if it has to pay premiums for National Health Insurance as long as everyone else does. McDonald's the same way. Both of these places take a lot of crap for the percentage of their employees who are on public assistance.

Note that this is not consistent with the lie that this will cost more money. It will not. Neither will the employers be off the hook for employee premiums- they will pay them into the Single Payer system.

[RobJohnson]

You knew it was going to happen. Another thing that no one realizes is that just getting our prescriptions filled will become more and more difficult. I've been so upset with Walgreen's, as it's been a nightmare. I found out from a technician in the pharmacy at my local stores that they don't stock much meds and often run out. In cost cutting efforts, they carry a limited stock and have to shuttle meds between stores or order it and have it delivered. That explains the waits, the partial fills where I have to go back, the many people almost screaming at the desk when someone from the store (or they think is from the store) tells them they have it and come pick it up and when they get there, it isn't there.

They have some sort of central ordering system. Now it has finally sunk in that I'm talking to someone who could be in India, who tells me it will be ready in an hour. It happened the other day. I was furious when I came in to pick the meds up, shopped a little so I wouldn't be bugging the pharmacist prematurely, only to finally go up to the counter to pick up the meds and the order hadn't been placed. I almost lost it as it's been happening with frequent regularity. My insurance mandates Walgreens or CVS or Wal-Mart. I won't go to the local Wal-Mart, too far and too crummy.

Has anyone dealt with CVS?

I heard that most of this is because the government has cut reimbursements so much and Wal-Mart undercuts with prices.

This is a mess already, and hold on to your hats, boys and girls, this is going to be an increasingly bumpy ride. Thanks Mr Obama----NOT!!!!!!!!!!

All true.

I got stuck working in a pharamcy today, someone called in sick. It was my choice, but they were slammed with customers, so I had to help them out, for 8 hours...lol Our competiton now closes early on Sunday so we had a last minute rush. The others now have to close early to make budget...if we were not open, customers would enjoy a 180 minute round trip to Las Vegas.

Today I had to fill a few prescriptions that our competiton did not have in stock. You can guess the names of the stores. Tomorrow will be really bad...it's the first of the month!

I urge everyone to utilize all the technology that the pharmacy chains offer from text messages when your prescription is ready, smart phone aps, and the chain's web pages to order and keep track of refills. Even just using one of these can really help. When I order my own refills I scan my bar codes with my phone.

Often what happens is when a refill is put in, there is a very slight, so very slight, drug interaction that requires a second look from a pharamcist and when they are busy they often don't see it in time to resolve it....it's usually a quick fix, but the filling of the prescription will not start until after that small glitch is taken care of....but in the long run, it's all part of the checks and balances for the patients safety. If I don't get a text message that my Rx is ready, I call the store. No wasted trips for me.

New pharmacy grads in Florida have a very difficult time finding a job. I know one pharmacist from Boca Raton, Florida that has 17 years experience that has been laid off three times in the past four years. Once for over a year...things are getting bad. Now she works as an independent contractor with no benefits.

Our Wal Mart tells people they need 72 hours to fill an Rx. Today I told people twenty minutes and every Rx was completley filled. We don't get special orders on the weekends. Throw in the 11 people waiting for flu shots when we opened the doors at 10 AM, a few pneumonia shot upsells, and a couple shingles vaccinations....on top of filling & selling over 200 prescritpions I think we did pretty good for just the three of us on a Sunday. Two techs and a pharmacist. The last two prescriptions I sold were for Hospice patients and the nurse did not have their case numbers yet....so I let those go at no charge. I know we will eventually get paid and I did not want the family have to worry about any more then they were already worrying about....

I'm pretty sure most pharmacy techs work just as hard, if not harder then most people on a Detroit assembly line. On top of having to interact with patients.

[RobJohnson]

Those copays are a bitch. SR can go to any pharmacy he wants, but the mail order is the more reasonable. But his meds being changed, so it would be crazy to go for the 90 day supply.

When it was looking dicey that they would renew his insurance, I checked into Costco. I've found that if you're not using insurance, they are the most reasonable.

Glad to hear that CVS is fairly decent. I noticed Walgreen's has started some sort of a card program similar to CVS. I wish all of them would stop the games and just lower their prices. I guess Walgreen's had to get into that game to keep up with the competition. Obama probably won't be happy till all the large pharmacies (and mom and pop ones) go out of business. Then we can depend on the government. Won't that be fun. Oy!

We have a family owned pharmacy in our town.

They had to start to offer $4 drugs like Wal Mart. It's killing them. They close at 6 PM, the staff is still there at 10 PM trying to fill prescritptions. Both the husband and wife are pharmacists and they just opened a location in Las Vegas. On top of that, they deliver! They started to take some business from other pharmacies when they were new, but most of that business has came back. They can't keep up...they are having to give stuff away to get people in the door.

Medicare cut reimbursment rates in half on some medications and it takes them at least six months to get paid...

They keep hanging in and are very nice people. But it's tough for an independent doctor or pharmacist to make it any more.

They are closed on Sunday, but I noticed they were there today working.....it's killing them.

[noonwitch]

I think in 10 years, Sears and K-Mart will not exist.


Sears may exist as a hardware and appliance store only. Everytime I go into a K-Mart, it's dead. There are few shoppers and few employees. I can't imagine they are making much money.

[LukeEDay]

I am surprised that Sears is still around; as well as K-Mart. Neither one is as profitable as they used to be. I go to each one maybe once a year and that is it.

[SaintLouieWoman]

I am surprised that Sears is still around; as well as K-Mart. Neither one is as profitable as they used to be. I go to each one maybe once a year and that is it.

I never went to Sears for years. Then I returned something to the local Sears that I had ordered from Land's End. It was cheaper than mailing it back.

When I went there, I was surprised to see the good prices they had on kids' clothes. They're about giving away a lot of the stuff. Whenever I need something, I'll check out the Sears. I like the fact that they support our troops with contributions, plus carry name brands. SR even found some casual shirts he liked there.

When I see a place almost giving away the stuff, though, I get nervous. These are desperate times for retailers.

[LukeEDay]

I never went to Sears for years. Then I returned something to the local Sears that I had ordered from Land's End. It was cheaper than mailing it back.

When I went there, I was surprised to see the good prices they had on kids' clothes. They're about giving away a lot of the stuff. Whenever I need something, I'll check out the Sears. I like the fact that they support our troops with contributions, plus carry name brands. SR even found some casual shirts he liked there.

When I see a place almost giving away the stuff, though, I get nervous. These are desperate times for retailers.

Yeah, a lot of them are doing that now. Their are so many that are trying to stay afloat. This economy, and wal*mart, is killing them.

[RobJohnson]

They can't. The games provide them with another source of income. Basically, you provide your name, address, etc. when you set up the card. Then every time you use the card, your purchases are recorded. Then drug stores, supermarkets, etc. collect this information under your own name and sell it to interested parties, like insurance companies. Your insurer uses that information to raise your rates.

It's all here:

http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/con...#axzz27z2vMbba

and here:

http://www.wnd.com/2002/02/12660/

Here is a site against the use of such cards and data mining:

http://www.nocards.org/

HIPPA prevents any store with a retail pharmacy sharing or selling your information.

I can promise you that the pharmacy chains are not selling your information.

[Hawkgirl]

I get my prescriptions filled at Target, happy with their service.


I agree with Noonie here, Sears and K-mart will be casualties of this economy.