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Press Releases
DUBLIN, OHIO – September 22, 2016 — With seniors representing approximately one in seven Americans1, it is more important than ever for independent pharmacies to have preferred access to Medicare Part D networks that help them overcome reimbursement pressures. Through a pharmacy-centered approach to Medicare preferred access for 2017, Cardinal Health balances access and economics with the only Advisory Panel of pharmacy owners in the industry.
“Independent pharmacies no longer need to have preferred access to every Medicare Part D plan – only the plans that economically make sense for them,” said Elie Bahou, Pharm D., vice president of Managed Care and Business Development at Cardinal Health. “We rely on our Managed Care Advisory Panel of independent pharmacy owners to select plans that make the most sense for our network. Network decisions are made by pharmacy owners for pharmacy owners.”
To make informed decisions on how to best serve the entire network of pharmacies and their patients, including more than 4,300 LeaderNET and Medicine Shoppe/Medicap pharmacy members, Cardinal Health relies on their Managed Care Advisory Panel. This group of independent pharmacy owners and network members utilize industry-leading data analytics for a 360-degree review of all of the proposed contracts for Cardinal Health.
“As reimbursement pressures continue, it is essential for us to continue to fight for our pharmacies and focus on their needs,” Bahou said. “Cardinal Health is the only Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO) to have an advisory panel of independent pharmacy owners as decision makers on preferred access. The access our panel has accepted for 2017 will put our network of pharmacies in a position to succeed.”
In order to be successful, pharmacies need to take advantage of their time to talk with their patients during Medicare Open Enrollment, which begins October 15 and runs through December 7. This year, Cardinal Health partnered with Jason Kizer of Kizer Pharmacy in Tennessee to share best practices in becoming trusted advisors to patients during the Medicare Open Enrollment period.
“Pharmacists need to be able to provide patients with all of their Medicare Part D options, and help identify what works best for their patients’ unique needs. We know these patient conversations can be challenging, but with our tools, we can help pharmacists navigate the consultations by making prescription drug plan comparisons easier to use,” said Bahou.
In addition to Kizer Pharmacy’s best practices, pharmacists have access to several online tools and resources from Cardinal Health to ensure they are guiding patients to make informed decisions on Medicare drug plan options.
To help identify appropriate plans, Cardinal Health offers independent pharmacists:
- Reimbursement Consulting Services, a service that improves reimbursement accuracy by managing and analyzing pharmacy's dispensing data. Through a new report, pharmacists can easily identify eligible patients for Medicare enrollment. Pharmacists can save time searching for eligible patients and spend more time having conversations with these patients when they come into the pharmacy. This integrated dashboard is a unique offering of Cardinal Health.
- eHealth’s Medicare plan comparison tool, a free online resource that allows busy pharmacists to quickly and easily help their patients find the lowest cost Medicare prescription drug coverage plan to meet their specific prescription drug needs. In a fraction of the time required by other methods, the tool creates a custom plan comparison report, specific to the data entered for each patient, which shows the user health plan options that will save the most money for the patient.
- iMedicare, a platform integration system that identifies patients eligible to choose a Medicare plan, then generates a customized report within seconds. The iMedicare platform is offered at a discounted price for Cardinal Health PSAO members.
Cardinal Health provides a comprehensive suite of Managed Care services to thousands of independent and regional pharmacies – negotiating contracts on their behalf with health insurance plans and pharmacy benefits managers to help them increase prescription volume and gain access to new patients.
Learn more about the Medicare Open Enrollment period at cardinalhealth.com/OpenEnrollment, or visit Cardinal Health's Managed Care services.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH), is a global integrated healthcare services and products company, providing customized solutions for hospital systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories and physician offices worldwide. The company provides clinically proven medical products and pharmaceuticals and cost-effective solutions that enhance supply chain efficiency from hospital to home. Cardinal Health connects patients, providers, payers, pharmacists and manufacturers for integrated care coordination and better patient management. Backed by nearly 100 years of experience, with more than 37,000 employees in nearly 60 countries, Cardinal Health ranks among the top 25 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit cardinalhealth.com, follow @CardinalHealth on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/ company/cardinal-health.
1 Administration on Aging, 2012; Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012; National Council on Aging, 2014.