Walgreens Expands Preferred Network Relationships to Nine National Medicare Part D Plan Sponsors
Company joins Express Scripts network as featured pharmacy provider – one of six new preferred network contracts for 2015 that offer Medicare beneficiaries additional costs savings, other benefits
DEERFIELD, Ill., October 07, 2014 – With Medicare’s Annual Election Period (AEP) set to begin Oct. 15, Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) today announced it has more than doubled its preferred network relationships with national Medicare Part D plan sponsors for 2015 and will be a part of preferred networks for nine plan sponsors. The networks are designed to offer greater access to pharmacy services and cost savings opportunities.
“The Medicare population is growing rapidly, and by working closely with plan sponsors as a part of preferred pharmacy networks, we’re uniquely positioned to help meet the prescription drug needs of America’s seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries,” said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness. “With a higher prevalence of chronic disease in the U.S., along with the aging population, our pharmacists are playing an important role in health care, providing personalized care to help customers get, stay and live well.”
Newly Announced for 2015
Walgreens will have preferred network relationships with six new Medicare Part D plan sponsors and PBMs who support them for 2015, including Express Scripts, which features Walgreens as the only national pharmacy chain in two of its prescription drug plans.
Other new preferred network relationships for 2015 include:
- Cigna-HealthSpring
- EnvisionRx Plus
- Prime Therapeutics LLC
- Providence Health Plan
- SilverScript
- Renewed Preferred Networks
Walgreens will continue to be a part of preferred pharmacy networks with three national Medicare Part D plan sponsors:
- Humana
- UnitedHealthcare
- WellCare
Walgreens is in the networks of hundreds of other Medicare prescription drug plans for 2015, in addition to participating in these preferred pharmacy networks. To help Medicare beneficiaries understand their prescription plan coverage options when Medicare open enrollment begins, Walgreens serves as one of the most convenient and accessible resources for Medicare Part D information, offering free, personalized plan comparison reports online and at every location, every day, to help beneficiaries evaluate the plans that may best meet their prescription drug needs. For more information, visit www.walgreens.com/medicare.
About Walgreens
As the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2014 sales of $76 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty enterprise. Each day, in communities across America, more than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with online and mobile services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,207 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
SOURCE: Walgreens