Aetna wants an employee to return or destroy documents that formed the basis of a whistleblower lawsuit she filed against CVS Caremark, alleging that the pharmacy benefit manager improperly reported generic drug prices to the federal government, according to a source familiar with the matter.
At the same time, CVS Caremark is seeking to redact key portions of the lawsuit, which is currently under seal, before it is made available to the public (although you can read it here). The lawsuit, which STAT first reported last month, revolves around the complicated contracts between pharmacy benefit managers and Medicare Part D plans, as well as the pricing that must be reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
These moves occur as CVS Health, the parent company of the pharmacy benefits manager, is trying to complete its $69 billion acquisition of Aetna. And while the steps being taken to keep information under wraps appear to be independent efforts by the companies, they also come amid clamoring for more transparency into pharmacy benefit managers and their operations.
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Go back more than 10 years and research how CVS was the preferred pharmacy for Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI.
Quite a spot to be in – serving the interests of the old master only to be sold to a new one, where such things conflict. Bad analogy, perhaps, but I find it thought provoking.