Horizon, Prime Therapeutics team with PillPack to improve members' pharmacy experience

New pharmacy option by New Jersey's largest health insurer offers a simplified signup with PillPack, including member cost information upfront

News provided by

Prime Therapeutics LLC

Aug 03, 2020, 13:00 ET

EAGAN, Minn., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To make it easier for members to fill and manage multiple prescriptions, Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. (Horizon), New Jersey's oldest and largest health insurer, and its pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics LLC, now offer its members an integrated pharmacy experience with PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy. Horizon now provides simplified PillPack sign up, choice of user-friendly multi-dose packages or traditional medicine bottles and estimated out-of-pocket cost information to help members make informed choices.

Managing multiple medications presents its own set of challenges. More than 33 million Americans – many with chronic conditions – are tasked with organizing five or more medications every day^¹. It's especially important for these individuals to take their medications as prescribed, as it can dramatically improve their quality of life. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid missed doses due to drug cost uncertainty, unclear directions or inability to find time for a trip to the pharmacy.

If a Horizon member chooses PillPack, the integrated process between Prime Therapeutics, Horizon and PillPack ensures a member's necessary information safely and securely transfers to PillPack. This saves time and effort as members avoid re-entering (or potentially mistyping) their insurance details, demographic information, or medicine lists. Members can also get an estimate of their out of pocket costs up front before selecting a prescription fill option and choosing the home delivery option that works best for their needs.

Another benefit Horizon members receive through this arrangement is they can choose PillPack as their pharmacy from their health plan's secure member web portal.

Once there, they may choose how and when medicines arrive. PillPack's signature pre-sorted and clearly labeled packets – that can include both prescription and over-the-counter medicines – can be delivered monthly directly to their door, or Horizon members can opt to receive up to a 90-day supply dispensed in traditional medication bottles.

"For thousands of our members, achieving their best health requires taking multiple medications – prescription and over the counter – sometimes several times throughout the day. With evidence in multiple studies indicating that only 50 percent of drugs for chronic conditions are taken as prescribed, this service gives members another option that makes it easier to take their medications as directed and understand their out-of-pocket costs upfront," said Saira Jan, Horizon's Vice President of Pharmacy.

"Most people use their pharmacy benefit frequently throughout the year and managing your medicines or your families' can become time consuming. To help, Prime Therapeutics, Horizon and PillPack envisioned a better pharmacy onboarding experience," said Kyle Skiermont, Prime Therapeutics' senior vice president for specialty pharmacy & home delivery services. "By deconstructing the signup process and putting it back together in a member-centric way, this new, integrated process now connects the necessary information in one place and makes this offering a simple and convenient experience for Horizon members. It even puts cost information for various dosing options at members' fingertips when they need it."

This service is available to any member with pharmacy benefits through Horizon. It represents Prime Therapeutics' and Horizon's newest endeavor into member-centric offerings aimed at making health care easier.

About Prime Therapeutics
Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) makes health care work better by helping people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well. Prime provides total drug management solutions for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The company processes claims and offers clinical services for people with complex medical conditions. Prime serves more than 30 million people. It is collectively owned by 18 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans. For more information visit www.primetherapeutics.com or follow @Prime_PBM on Twitter.

About Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc
Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc., New Jersey's oldest and largest health insurer, is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health services corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. serves 3.5 million members with headquarters in Newark and offices in Wall, Mt. Laurel, and Hopewell. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon does not have an ownership interest in Prime Therapeutics, LLC.

^¹ https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm