2015 Express Scripts Medicare Prescription Drug Plans Earn CMS 4-Star Quality and Performance Rating

Express Scripts Medicare Choice and Value plans offer America's seniors quality, value in Part D

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Oct 15, 2014, 07:30 ET

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX) announced today that its 2015 Express Scripts Medicare^® prescription drug plan S5660 (PDP) earned a 4-Star rating* from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

"Express Scripts Medicare is a high-quality Part D plan that offers seniors total value – affordability, choice, convenience, clinical care and support, and exemplary service," said Mike Looney, vice president, Medicare prescription drug plans, Express Scripts. "Earning a 4-star rating from CMS demonstrates that our plan provides real value to our beneficiaries, and it makes a difference in our members' satisfaction and their overall health outcomes.

"When selecting a Medicare Part D plan, beneficiaries should consider total value, rather than just the premium or copayment. Star Ratings help take the guesswork out of choosing a high-quality plan," said Looney.

Each year, CMS rates the relative quality of the private plans that are offered to Medicare beneficiaries on a scale of one to five, with five stars representing the highest quality.^** To determine the ratings, CMS conducts a thorough evaluation of the plan across broad categories such as customer service, patient safety and feedback from beneficiaries currently using the plan. The summary score provides an unbiased, overall measure of a plan's quality.

"Medicare consumers need to be aware of Star Ratings when choosing a Medicare plan. Star Ratings are an important, objective measure of a Part D plan, and can give beneficiaries peace of mind with their Part D selection," said Looney.

Quality, Choice and Value

In 2015, Express Scripts Medicare is offering two robust plan options – Choice and Value – with significant savings and quality care. For added convenience, beneficiaries can receive up to a 90-day supply of their medications via Express Scripts home delivery pharmacy. For beneficiaries, using one of the more than 27,000 pharmacies in the plans' preferred retail network also offers savings – with $0 or $1 copayments, respectively, for Tier 1 generic medications.

In addition, beneficiaries have 24/7 access to Express Scripts specialist pharmacists. These pharmacists have been highly trained in the specialty medications that treat specific conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. They help seniors to safely manage their medications, find cost-effective medication alternatives when needed, and overcome barriers to not taking medications as prescribed.

Enrollment for the 2015 plan year begins October 15, 2014, and ends December 7, 2014 with coverage beginning on January 1, 2015. Both the Choice and Value plans offer coverage for more than 3,000 medications and are available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

To learn more about the Express Scripts Medicare plan options and sign up for a free open enrollment email reminder, visit www.Express-ScriptsMedicare.com/info, or call toll free
1-866-544-3794. TTY users should call 1-800-716-3231.

Disclaimers

Express Scripts Medicare^® (PDP) is a prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Express Scripts Medicare depends on contract renewal.

The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information, contact the plan. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply.

Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or copayments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year.

* The state of New York (S5983) received 3.5 stars.

** Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. Medicare Star Ratings for plans can be found at http://www.medicare.gov.

About Express Scripts

Express Scripts manages more than a billion prescriptions each year for tens of millions of patients. On behalf of our clients — employers, health plans, unions and government health programs — we make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable. Express Scripts uniquely combines three capabilities — behavioral sciences, clinical specialization and actionable data — to create Health Decision Science^SM, our innovative approach to help individuals make the best drug choices, pharmacy choices and health choices. Better decisions mean healthier outcomes.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Express Scripts provides integrated pharmacy-benefit management services, including network-pharmacy claims processing, home delivery, specialty benefit management, benefit-design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug data analysis services. The company also distributes a full range of biopharmaceutical products and provides extensive cost-management and patient-care services.

For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow @ExpressScripts on Twitter.

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Jennifer Luddy
Office: 201-269-6402
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