The full article is here
His "portion" of the interview is copied here...
Mickey Lim
Age: 44
City: San Francisco
Occupation: Pharmacist
Three weeks ago, Mickey Lim made the hardest decision of his professional life: He stopped accepting new Medi-Cal patients because he can no longer afford to, and he will no longer stock some of the costly medications that his current Medi-Cal patients need.
Lim manages the Los Portales Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy in San Francisco's Mission District - Medi-Cal represents 27 percent of his business. His special focus as a pharmacist is on patients with HIV - 85 percent of his clients have the virus that causes AIDS.
With the state's 10 percent rate reduction, Lim says he is losing $40 to $80 for every HIV prescription.
"I don't sell ice cream or shampoo," he says. "I don't have the deep pockets of Walgreens. If I lose money on every prescription, I can't pay the rent or salaries or liability insurance or toner for the printer."
Lim says when he began his pharmaceutical career 15 years ago, a gross margin of 27 percent was standard. Now, he says, he operates on a margin of 7 1/2 percent.
"If Medi-Cal takes 10 percent, it puts me in the red," he says. "Ten percent is my whole profit and then some."
In recent weeks, Lim arranged for existing patients to get a three-month supply of medications.
"For most of my boys, I'm hoping the dust will settle," he says. "I'm holding off on deciding whether I can keep them. If these cuts are not reversed, it may come to pass that I'm not going to be able to take Medi-Cal. This is my practice. It is what I care about. And this situation is tearing me up."
- Elizabeth Fernandez
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