Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Sempre Health Collaborate to Further Improve Medication Adherence and Affordability
Expanded program has successfully saved members hundreds of dollars since inception
PHOENIX, Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) and Sempre Health announce today an expansion of their highly successful medication adherence affordability collaboration. The program, which uses SMS messaging to provide discounts for specific chronic disease medications, has saved the average participating BCBSAZ member hundreds of dollars, totaling more than $500,000 in savings since the partnership's inception in August 2019. Based upon this success, BCBSAZ and Sempre Health are expanding the program to include six additional diabetes medicines. Members eligible for the expanded program will be able to begin enrolling immediately.
"Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is continually working to make the healthcare experience more personalized, convenient, and affordable for our members," said Chris Hogan, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. "Through expanding the program with Sempre Health, we are able to support our members with managing their chronic conditions, while helping them save money as well."
Sempre's unique approach to addressing medication adherence focuses on providing dynamic copay discounts directly to members at the pharmacy of their choosing. With Sempre, individuals are able to maximize their own savings when they fill and take their prescriptions, for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic lung disease. The savings realized by patients on the Sempre program are significant -- the program reduces a patient's out of pocket costs on their eligible medications by up to 55 percent.
Sempre Health's product couples these dynamic discounts with interactive text messages that remind members when it is time to fill. The Sempre product can even submit refills to pharmacies on a member's behalf. Additionally, the natural language text reminders and conversations with members led to increased engagement by creating a personalized and concierge experience for those enrolled.
"The increasing savings, along with text message reminders offered through Sempre's program, present both an incentive and a reward that remove financial obstacles and other points of friction so that patients can be rewarded for remaining adherent to their life saving medications." said Anurati Mathur, CEO of Sempre Health. "We are proud to see the success this partnership has yielded to date and we're excited to build on this as we look toward the future together."
High drug costs are one of the main reasons why roughly half of all Americans with chronic health conditions do not take their medications as prescribed. Failing to refill prescriptions has been shown to cause health complications that cost the U.S. healthcare system between $100 billion and $300 billion per year, leading to more than 100,000 preventable deaths annually. With that in mind, the significance and value of Sempre's work has only grown given the current global health crisis we are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the eighteen months of the BCBSAZ and Sempre Health partnership, the program led to substantial improvements in adherence. In a 12-month analysis of the program, Sempre was found to drive a statistically significant increase in proportion of days covered, which is the widely used measure of medication adherence. In a recent survey among BCBSAZ members enrolled in the program, Sempre earned a 92 Net Promoter Score.
"In today's world where you're always kind of keeping your eye on medical and health care expenses, this particular program participation enabled me to get involved in something that was good for me and good for my pocketbook, and that's important," said Rafael B., a BCBSAZ member enrolled in Sempre Health.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a focus on connecting people with the care they need, BCBSAZ offers health insurance and related services to more than 1.7 million customers. Through advanced clinical programs and community outreach, BCBSAZ is inspiring health in Arizona. BCBSAZ, a not-for-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company, and its subsidiaries, employ more than 2,400 people in its Phoenix, Chandler, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com.
BCBSAZ offers BluePathway HMO and BlueJourney PPO Medicare Advantage plans. BCBSAZ Advantage, a separate but wholly owned subsidiary of BCBSAZ, offers Blue Medicare Advantage Standard, Classic, and Plus HMO plans. BCBSAZ is contracted with Medicare to offer HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage plans and PDP plans. Enrollment in BCBSAZ plans depends on contract renewal. The Silver&Fit program is provided by American Specialty Health Fitness, Inc. (ASH Fitness), a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH). All programs and services are not available in all areas. This information is not a complete description of the program. ASH is an independent and separate company contracted with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) to provide health and wellness services to BCBSAZ members. The Silver&Fit program is not an insurance policy and does not provide insurance coverage. Silver&Fit and the Silver&Fit logo are registered service marks of ASH. Routine eye and hearing exam and hearing aid benefits available through participating providers. Nurse On Call is available to eligible participants. Services and treatment options presented may not be covered under your health insurance plan. Please review your benefits prior to receiving non-emergency services. Nurse On Call services are provided by an independent third party contracted with BCBSAZ.
Other pharmacies are available in our network.
*Plans not available in all areas
About Sempre Health
Sempre Health works with leading health plans and pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of copayments for patients who refill their prescriptions on time. By combining technology, behavioral science and dynamic pricing, Sempre Health aims to boost medication adherence in maximizing the percent of its members with a proportion of days covered (PDC) greater than 0.8 -- the widely acknowledged gold standard. Doing so will dramatically improve the health of millions of people and save hundreds of billions of dollars in avoidable medical costs. For more information visit: www.semprehealth.com.
SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
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