2008-07-01 01:18:14 -
www.medica.com - For MedVantx: Mike Dresser, 858-625-2990 Director of Marketing Mike.dresser@medvantx.com or Maureen Ranney, 310-309-1011 Chandler Chicco Agency mranney@ccapr.com or For Medica: Greg Bury, 952-992-8437 Sr. Manager, Communications greg.bury@medica.com An increasing number of patients with Medica prescription drug benefit coverage can receive a 30 day course of therapy at no cost
to the patient. The increase is due to a recent expansion in a partnership with MedVantx that includes more than 300 providers in 35 participating offices in Minnesota. The program provides patients with a 30-day supply of sample medications. More than 13,000 such samples have been provided to Medica members since becoming the first health plan in Minnesota to implement the program.
Medications provided by the program are the generic equivalent of brand name drugs. MedVantx also offers certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, such as Prilosec OTC(R). Approximately 71 percent of prescription drugs dispensed to Medica members are generics.
"This partnership has become a proven method of making available to patients more affordable medications," said Jim Guyn, M.D., medical director, Medica. "The immediate access to the medications helps physicians educate their patients on the equivalent clinical effectiveness of generics and over-the-counter drugs. I use the program regularly in my clinical practice and physicians and patients both love it."
"This partnership was the first for MedVantx in Minnesota. As the number of participating offices grows, more Medica covered lives will have access to low-cost medication," said Rob Feeney, CEO, MedVantx. "We are very pleased to see our partnership continue to grow."
The MedVantx MedStart program is a first-of-its-kind generic medication first-line therapy program developed by physicians, health plans and pharmacy experts to provide a comprehensive approach to promoting generic medications at the point-of-care. The network offers generic medications in 14 therapeutic classes via an ATM-like MedStart System, as well as evidence-based therapeutic programs, patient education materials and supporting scientific materials. It is designed to help reduce costs associated with the growing use of name-brand prescription medications.
About Medica
Medica is a health insurance company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in the Upper Midwest. With nearly 1.4 million members, the non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer, individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota and a growing number of counties in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network.
Medica has the highest accreditation status, Excellent, from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA(R)) for its Minnesota Medicaid HMO plans and commercial health plans in Minnesota and North Dakota. Medica's vision is to become the community's health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency.
About MedVantx
MedVantx is an innovative consumer medication management and delivery company committed to streamlining access, reducing costs and providing information to benefit patients, physicians, health plans and manufacturers. MedVantx products and services are focused on the use of less expensive, yet clinically appropriate, medications both prescription and OTC. MedVantx pioneered InSequenceRx; a unique program offering free initial therapy at the point of care - the physician's office. InSequenceRx also offers a helpline providing drug information and reimbursement assistance as well as convenient consumer home delivery through its wholly-owned mail-order pharmacy subsidiary, AmeriPharm. The national MedVantx network includes 18 health plan sponsors and more than 2,300 prescribers nationwide. For more information about MedVantx or InSequenceRx, please visit www.MedVantx.com.
Innovative Program Provides Consumers Convenient Access to
Low-Cost Generic Medications
