Firm to fill supply of prescriptions at no upfront costs to those customers who have enrolled but not received official confirmation

Walgreens has become the latest healthcare-related company to make concessions to its customers who have fallen victim to the bungled rollout of President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

America's largest drug store chain has announced that, for the month of January, it would provide a supply of prescriptions at no upfront costs to those customers who have enrolled in an insurance plan under the new law but have not yet received official confirmation.

New insurance coverage for almost a million people who signed up to health insurance under the exchanges before the newly-extended December 23 deadline was due to begin on January 1. It has been estimated that about 2 million people have enrolled in plans through state and federal marketplaces.

However, due to a number of serious glitches on the heathcare.gov website, some of those who enrolled before the deadline and should have had their insurance coverage by January 1, are expected to still find themselves without a plan identification number to present to their healthcare provider.

The US Department of Health and Human Services was unable to provide an estimate for the number of people who would find themselves in this position. However, in mid-December, it emerged that enrollment paperwork for nearly 15,000 Obamacare customers who signed up via heathcare.gov never made it to insurance companies.

The problems led America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) board of directors to announce a voluntary extension of the deadline for consumers to pay their first month’s premium by health plans. Consumers have to pay the first month's premium in order to be covered by January 1, but AHIP said those who paid the first month's premium by January 10 would still have retroactive coverage by January 1, ensuring that they could recoup any costs paid out for healthcare.

On Sunday, CVS put out a statement saying that it would, in “some circumstances and based on clinical considerations”, assist patients with a transitional supply of prescriptions, to those "experiencing a temporary disruption in coverage to support their continuity of care".

On Monday, Walgreens said their pharmacy staff will verify customer enrollment in the federal healthcare plan and provide up to a month of generic medication at no upfront cost. When the customer received their plan ID number, Walgreens will then process the insurance claim. The customer will then be responsible for any co-pay.

Walgreens' announcement came as Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and guman services, warned those who had enrolled in the federal insurance exchanges to go through a series of steps to “ensure a smooth transition period” on January 1.

In a blogpost dated 31 December, Sebelius advised consumers without an insurance card to check with their insurance company as to whether they are insured. January 1 also marks the beginning of a new era for US healthcare, as it is the date when all insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage or charge more for those with pre-existing conditions.

Walgreens said it was working with the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure newly enrolled customers a smooth transition to their new insurance plans. It said that it would provide traditional medications and prescriptions, but would not cover "complex therapy medications" such as cancer drugs or those needed to treat rare diseases.