October 19, 2006
WHY DOES THE LEFT HATE SANTA?:
Wal-Mart cutting prices on more than 100 toys (Reuters, 10/18/06)
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) on Wednesday declared an early start to the holiday shopping season, cutting prices on more than 100 toys and games, effective immediately.The world's biggest retailer said the markdowns were "just the start of thousands of price cuts on key gift, entertaining and holiday items," setting the stage for a fiercely competitive finish to the year.
MORE:
Wal-Mart Speeds Generic Rollout (Reuters, 10/19/2006)
The Bentonville, Ark., retailer said its $4 generic prescription program will be now be available in an additional 1,264 stores in 14 added states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. [...]Posted by Orrin Judd at October 19, 2006 8:06 AMThe $4 generics program includes 314 generic prescriptions available for up to a 30-day supply at commonly prescribed dosages. The list of 314 generic prescriptions is made up of as many as 143 compounds in 24 therapeutic categories. Wal-Mart estimates that the list of $4 prescription medications represents nearly 25% of prescriptions that it currently dispenses in its pharmacies nationwide.
Bill Simon, executive vice president of the Professional Services Division for Wal-Mart, said Wal-Mart filled 88,235 new prescriptions in 10 days after the program started.
More fall out of Wal-Mart's new Rx policy.
We got a notice from BC/BS, the provider of our Medicare Part D drug plan, that our rates would be cut almost in half to less than $25.00 per month, that approved drugs (with the same $100 deductible) would be reduced by $5.00 (from $30.00 to $25.00 for a month's supply) and that while generic drugs would remain $5.00 for a month's supply, they would no longer be subject to the deductible. They offered other more expensive and expansive plans as well.
It'll be interesting to see what plans Wal-Mart has for lowering the prices of the so-called approved drugs and other really expensive drugs not on the approved list. Whatever they do, it won't take long for the other vendors to move in the same direction.
It would be a very good thing for the guvmint to get out of healthcare completely and they certainly won't do it of their own volition.