Letters: Anthems Rx plan makes sense

Re “Patients’ choices narrower, yet cost of insurance rises,” Column, Nov. 30

David Lazarus’ criticism of Anthem Blue Cross for making its customers buy their medicine from only the pharmacy it chooses makes no sense.

Why would any thinking person oppose a volume drug discount deal with an online pharmacy that naturally requires the insured to use that pharmacy exclusively or pay more? Such contracts reduce drug costs markedly, and thus co-pays for which the insured are responsible. The drugs are entirely identical and not in any way inferior to those purchased from a local pharmacy.

Would Lazarus prefer that such volume discounts be prohibited, resulting in increased drug costs and even higher premiums?

Lazarus’ big problem with Anthem appears to be that it is a for-profit company. So what? There’s competition. And anyone can join nonprofit Kaiser Permanente if they don’t like for-profits.

Peter Rich

Los Angeles

ALSO:

Letters: Little sympathy for port strikers

Letters: The best evaluators aren’t tests

Letters: Affirmative action and equal protection