Albertsons first to bill Oregon Medicaid for birth control consult

BOISE, Idaho — As part of a collaborative effort to improve access to hormonal contraception for Oregon women, Albertsons announced Wednesday that select pharmacies can now bill Oregon Medicaid plans for a consultation service fee and is the first in the nation to successfully complete the process for a patient.



Following the implementation of Oregon bill HB 2879, which allows anyone 18 years and older to receive birth control prescribed by a pharmacist, Albertsons, in partnership with Oregon State University, worked to develop the processes that now allow Oregon pharmacists to be paid by Medicaid for the consultation service fee when prescribing birth control, eliminating the fee for the Medicaid patient.



"Oregon was the first in the nation to implement a law that gave women access to hormonal contraceptives through their local pharmacy," stated Mark Panzer, SVP pharmacy, health and wellness, Albertsons. "We are excited to be at the forefront with them to broaden patient access to healthcare services, decrease financial barriers and add to ways that community pharmacists can directly and conveniently provide care for customers through the pharmacy."



"We are strategically expanding the service with Oregon insurance providers and pharmacy retailers to extend this billing capability for hormonal contraceptives," added Paige Clark, director of alumni relations and professional development, Oregon State University/OHSU College of Pharmacy. "Eventually, we anticipate all insurance plans will have processes in place to cover the pharmacist consultation service fee so that any woman in Oregon who wants birth control can have access to it, regardless of their financial constraints."



For qualified women, hormonal contraceptives can be obtained in most Safeway or Albertsons pharmacies in Oregon.