Network Participation

Health Law Alliance announces the filing of an emergency lawsuit in federal court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, to stop Optum's termination of an independent pharmacy that dispensed medications on telemedicine prescriptions and force Optum to comply with federal and state "prompt payment" laws that prohibit withholding of reimbursement.

Health Law Alliance has successfully challenged Optum Rx's termination decisions for numerous pharmacies, ensuring they can continue to operate and serve their communities. These victories highlight the firm's expertise in healthcare law and its dedication to protecting pharmacy clients from unjust PBM actions.

Insurers have bet big on Medicare Advantage, but the government is slowly cutting back. Faced with rising medical loss ratios and CMS reimbursement cuts, payors and their PBMs are planning to make up those losses by increasing pharmacy claims audits and unilateral recoupments.

PBMs are increasingly terminating pharmacies for minor infractions of the provider manuals or network enrollment forms. These terminations are contrary to the PBM's obligations under law and the parties' agreements, and may have collateral consequences if the underlying allegations involve wrongdoing. In this case, we profile the steps that led to a successful network reinstatement for an Illinois pharmacy.