KROGER

MINNETONKA, Minn. — More retailers have signed on for UnitedHealthcare's prescription savings program that caters to Medicare Part D members.

Target, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Publix Super Markets, Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys and Sweetbay Supermarket have joined the insurance company's Pharmacy Saver program, which allows members to purchase some scripts for $2 for 30-day and some 90-day supplies, and applies to hundreds of prescription drugs, including 8-of-the-10 most commonly used by UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan members.

CINCINNATI — Just two weeks after announcing the exit of its SVP retail operations, Kroger announced a replacement on Friday.

Geoffrey Covert, a seasoned Kroger executive, will become SVP retail operations, effective Jan. 1. He will be responsible for leading the company's programs and processes focused on operating efficiency, store productivity and associate and customer safety, Kroger said. Prior to this position, Covert served as president of the company's Cincinnati/Dayton division for the past six years.

CINCINNATI — In an effort to assure that its customers stay healthy this holiday season, Kroger is offering free flu shot vouchers to the Salvation Army and Feeding America, a leading domestic hunger-relief organization.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — The Little Clinic, which operates clinics inside select Kroger, King Soopers, Fry's Food Stores and Publix Super Markets, has announced the addition of the MultiPlan and PHCS Networks to its group of accepted provider networks.

MINNETONKA, Minn. — Could the economy and the bare-knuckles competition that now defines pharmacy retailing lower the price bar even further for widely used generic drugs? It’s already happening.


CINCINNATI — Kroger's third-quarter revenue, including fuel, leaped 5.9% to $18.7 billion, the supermarket giant reported Thursday.

Excluding fuel sales, total sales increased 3.1% in the third quarter, which ended Nov. 6, the company noted. Earnings per share for the company rose to 32 cents per share, totaling $202.2 million. During the same period last year, Kroger reported a net loss of $874.9 million, or $1.35 per diluted share, after the company's $1.05 billion write-down of its Ralphs division.

CINCINNATI — Kroger's family of stores, which includes 2,468 supermarkets and multidepartment stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names, once again has kicked off the Red Kettle campaign in support of The Salvation Army.

MINNETONKA, Minn. — UnitedHealth Group will start a program next year that it said can reduce drug costs to as low as $2 per script, the company said Tuesday.

The program, Pharmacy Saver, will be available to Medicare Part D members and is a collaboration with Kroger, Safeway and Prescription Solutions. The program will allow members to purchase some scripts for $2 for 30- and some 90-day supplies and applies to hundreds of prescription drugs, including 8-of-the-10 most commonly used by UnitedHealthcare Medicare plan members.