Integrating Pharmacy and Medical Benefits Helps Employees
Blues Perspectives
| 2 min read
Nationally, 39% of employers have added services to help their employees understand their benefits – up 10% from two years ago. Too often, health benefits like pharmacy coverage and medical coverage are separated between carriers – leading to layers of complexity that could ultimately result in health issues for members if their care is delayed or disrupted.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network offer an integrated benefits solution. We combine a dedicated pharmacy team with a robust medical plan. The combination under one health plan allows for communication and collaboration, ensuring the right care at the right time for our members.
Here are ways employees can benefit from integrated pharmacy and medical coverage through Blue Cross:
Better member experience
Integrating pharmacy and medical coverage reduces the complexity of navigating benefits information. Members have access to their medical and pharmacy coverage through one ID card, one account, one mobile app and one customer service team. Additionally, our medical and pharmacy policies align with each other.
Affordable pricing on prescriptions
Combining clinical expertise with the power of the Blue Cross network offers the best pricing strategy for prescriptions. Blue Cross’ drug lists, or formularies, address clinical quality, cost-effectiveness and consumer affordability by focusing on lowest net cost, as opposed to only maximizing rebates. Members also have access to programs that help them save money on their prescriptions.
Improved care management
Independent studies have shown a 7.5% increase in medical costs when pharmacy and medical benefits are separated between carriers.
With pharmacy and medical benefits through Blue Cross, there’s better coordination of care for members – resulting in reduced medical costs as their health improves and as unnecessary or redundant treatments are eliminated. This applies to managing chronic conditions and identifying and addressing gaps in care.
Access to medications
Blue Cross offers access to a robust national network of pharmacies – more than 65,000 across the country and more than 2,300 in Michigan. There’s also a home delivery option for prescriptions, which can save money for both group customers and employees.
Offering home delivery pharmacy benefits can save group customers up to 5% of total pharmacy costs. They also benefit members, especially those with chronic illnesses: medication adherence improves when prescriptions are delivered to the home.
Learn more about integrated pharmacy and medical benefits through Blue Cross by visiting bcbsm.com/groupRx.
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