CVS Caremark May be Violating Privacy of Hundreds of Thousands of Floridians, According to CtW
CVS Caremark Could Put State of Florida, Office Depot, Miami Herald, Other Plan Participants' Patient, Prescription Data Up For Sale
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 5, 2009 - Privacy advocates are launching a public awareness campaign today in Tallahassee, sounding the alarm that CVS Caremark, the pharmacy benefit manager, could be putting the patient information and prescription drug history of state employees up for sale.
More than 100,000 State of Florida employees and their families are at risk of their privacy being violated, according to Change to Win who recently obtained the state contract through the Florida Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The employees of Office Depot, the Miami Herald and other employers across Florida that contract with CVS Caremark may also be at risk, advocates are warning with informational leafleting outside state office buildings and other locations across the state this week.
“CVS Caremark is putting its own profits ahead of plan participants' privacy,” said Chris Chafe, Executive Director of Change to Win. “They could be selling patient information, including your doctor's name, what prescription drugs you're on and where you get your prescriptions filled – all without your knowledge or consent. And patient information that CVS Caremark gathers may also come back around in ways that could harm your health, impact your job opportunities, and drive up prescription drug costs for consumers and health plans.”
CVS Caremark Uses Patient Data to Market for Drug Companies
CVS Caremark uses patient and physician data to promote drugs on behalf of pharmaceutical companies in ways that may compromise patient privacy and increase healthcare costs by promoting expensive drugs to doctors and plan members.
Under its contract with the State, CVS Caremark claims the right to use “any applicable Department participant information” including “relevant participant identifiable information” for marketing funded by drug manufacturers.
CVS Caremark Sells Patient Data
CVS Caremark also sells plan participants' prescription data to health, life and long-term care insurance companies that may use the information to deny people coverage or charge higher premiums.
CVS Caremark and its allies have strenuously opposed state efforts to prevent the sale of private information. In a lawsuit brought by health data company IMS challenging a Vermont law to restrict data-mining by healthcare companies, CVS Caremark executive Scott Tierney testified that his company had sold patient data to IMS and other companies “for a broad range of uses for many years.” Mr. Tierney also testified that CVS Caremark desired to continue selling patient information to IMS and others so that they could use the data “for marketing or promotion of prescription drugs.”
For more information, visit: www.AlarmedAboutCVSCaremark.org.
Alarmed About CVS Caremark is a Change to Win initiative to educate health plan managers and trustees as well as consumers about the newly merged CVS Caremark, now the country's second largest pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) and largest retail pharmacy chain. Change to Win affiliates represent workers in CVS Caremark plans that cover more than 10 million people. On behalf of these health plan members, the initiative seeks legislative reform of the PBM industry to protect plan members' health and privacy.
Contact: Change to Win
Gina Bowers, 202-288-0257
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