Healthcare advocates from across the U.S. are teaming up with lobby group the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to protest what it says are “unethical charges” by medical insurance giant UnitedHealthcare and its OptumRx pharmacy benefits manager.
The advocates and the AHF are raising concerns about what they refer to as "arbitrary penalties" and fees UnitedHealthcare is imposing on small, independent pharmacies.
UnitedHealthcare has “disproportionately impacted access to care for those living with critical illnesses” by adding the fees and penalties, the AHF said in a release. The group argues that this situation has led to patients not having their medications covered at their preferred pharmacies, ultimately resulting in many individuals discontinuing their treatment.
AHF and other lobby groups ran a three-day protest in mid-August over these charges at UnitedHealth's headquarters.
Tracy Jones, midwest regional director and national director of advocacy for the AHF, said in a press release that UnitedHealthcare and Optum Rx are prioritizing profit over people.
"Their actions rob specialty and independent pharmacies that many patients depend on, kneecapping them from providing the lifesaving medicines and services patients need,” Jones said.
The AHF has a long history of pickets and protests, more recently focusing its ire on Big Pharma Gilead Sciences and what it has deemed its “greed” for refusing to offer the 340B discount price for HIV drugs to providers who use contract pharmacies.