For Already Struggling Independent Pharmacies, Blue Cross Program Brings More Pain
Darius Russell of Russell s Pharmacy
North Carolinaâs largest health insurance provider announced in November that it would mail more than $200 million in health and wellness retail debit cards to its members.
But as small businesses struggle to stay afloat amid rising COVID-19 infection rates, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has made accessing this juggernaut of financial benefits near-impossible for the wellness-focused companies that need it most: independently owned pharmacies.
Last month, writer and gardener Frank Hyman called Russellâs Pharmacy & Shoppe in historic Old East Durham to ask about using the $500 gift card he had received in the mail from Blue Cross.