Covid vaccinations are taking a toll on small pharmacies' bottom lines

Small pharmacies struggle to get reimbursed for giving Covid vaccinations “We've been disenfranchised for years,” a Chicago pharmacy owner said. “It's almost like we feel like we're being kicked when we're already down.” NBC News

Pharmacists may be on the front line of Covid-19 vaccination distribution, but they feel increasingly like an afterthought when they try to get paid for it.

A common complaint among community pharmacists is that they are sapped physically, mentally and financially by hours of paperwork, piles of rejected claims and unceasing billing audits just to receive some level of payment for administering vaccines. And it’s a problem that could push some of these small businesses to the brink financially.

Every week, Chris Antypas said he and his staff at Asti's South Hills Pharmacy in Pittsburgh are making the same calculation as many other mom and pop pharmacists: Though they have inoculated thousands quickly and effectively, can the business afford to continue?

The vaccine may come free — paid for by the federal government — and administering it is fairly easy, but the work behind those shots is monumental, the reimbursement rates from insurers can be low and the effort to get paid is a major undertaking.

“It's a shot in the arm for sure to know that you're helping people,” said Antypas, who has worked 80- to 100-hour weeks running vaccination clinics while still operating a high-volume pharmacy. “But we're certainly sacrificing our business, and it’s already difficult to be profitable. It's just a drain on you.”

NBC News spoke to 10 community pharmacists in five states: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and Illinois. Seven obtained the vaccine despite the hurdles they faced, while three said the difficulty of securing a regular vaccine supply, billing issues and low reimbursement rates, particularly from private insurers and state Medicaid programs, discouraged them from participating in the nationwide effort. ...

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