State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, is calling Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to ensure greater access to pharmacy services for Illinois Medicaid recipients who have Aetna as their managed care organization. As of December 1, 2020, Aetna Better Health Illinois Medicaid recipients must use CVS pharmacies or a limited number of smaller independent pharmacies. Using Walgreens is no longer an option for these recipients. Much of the West and South Sides of Chicago are pharmacy deserts, and CVS has closed many of their stores in these communities. There are no CVS pharmacies in the West Side communities of Humboldt Park, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, or Austin. “Limiting pharmacy options for Medicaid recipients affects not only people on the West and South Sides of Chicago, but people throughout Illinois,” said Ford. “During a pandemic when people need their medications and even the coronavirus vaccine when it is distributed through pharmacies, and when people are dying daily due to opioid overdoses, it makes no sense to limit access to pharmacies,” said Rep. Ford. CVS Pharmacy bought the Aetna insurance company in 2018. Aetna bought IlliniCare in 2020, assuming its Illinois Medicaid patients.