Longtime McAllen pharmacy among many affected by statewide error that drove customers away

Lee’s Pharmacy owner Danny Vela worries that he lost dozens of customers this month after a computer glitch by a massive corporation sent out letters prompting patients to switch retailers — or pay out-of-network prices in 2026. 

Express Scripts Inc., a pharmacy benefit management company owned by health insurance giant Cigna, sent letters on Dec.1 warning patients insured by The University of Texas System that Lee’s Pharmacy would no longer be in-network as of Jan. 1, according to a letter obtained by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. Pharmacy benefit managers, like Express Scripts, are third-party brokers that negotiate prices between insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. 

Lee’s Pharmacy, established in 1952, operates two locations in McAllen. Both were affected. 

At one location, Express Scripts sent the notice to nearly half of the company’s customers, and at the other, it was mailed to about 25% of its patients.