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Express Scripts Launches Drug Plan for Low-Income Individuals, Families

Posted on: Monday, 8 November 2004, 21:00 CST

Nov. 9--Low-income individuals and families are able to buy generic drugs at deep discounts through Rx Outreach, a first-of-its-kind program being rolled out nationally this week by Express Scripts Inc. of Maryland Heights.

The mail-order program, aimed at the uninsured and the underinsured, includes prescription drugs for arthritis, asthma, cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and heartburn.

It's open to those who earn a maximum of 250 percent of the federal poverty level. For an individual, that means an income of less than $23,275 a year. A family of four must earn $47,125 or less to qualify. Express Scripts said more than 108 million adults and children qualify under the income criteria. The company estimates that there could be 35 million or 40 million people taking generic prescriptions who might save by buying their drugs through the program.

Users complete an application process and must attest to their income eligibility. There's no enrollment fee, and the program is open to all ages. There's no contract or monthly bill. People are able to use the Express Scripts program along with other drug-assistance programs. Many makers of high-price branded drugs offer a variety of discounts for low-income patients, but makers of generics typically do not.

Generic drugs make up roughly half of prescriptions written in the United States, but only about 10 percent of the dollar value. Generics are chemically equivalent versions of brand-name drugs that are brought to market after patent protections expire. They are cheaper than brand-name drugs but still might retail at prices that are unaffordable to the poor who suffer from chronic conditions.

Cynthia Meiners, vice president for patient savings and advocacy at Express Scripts, said in a statement announcing the program, "Every day, millions of people make the difficult choice between paying for medications or paying for other important items that they need, like food and rent."

Rx Outreach participants pay $18 for a three-month supply or $30 for a six-month supply of any of more than 50 drugs available only by mail. The price is the same for all medications in the program.

The average pharmacy price of three months' worth of the medicines is $100, though some of the drugs in the program cost as much as $400 for a three-month supply. The list also includes lower-cost drugs, such as the blood-pressure drug atenolol, which costs about $21 in a retail pharmacy.

Stephen Littlejohn, an Express Scripts spokesman, said some manufacturers are contributing their drugs to the program. Express Scripts, one of the country's largest pharmacy-benefit managers, will use its bulk-buying clout to purchase low-cost drugs for the program. Littlejohn said that any profit will be plowed back into the program to ensure that it's a long-running success.

This year, about 70,000 people enrolled in a trial Rx Outreach program. About half of those participants are Medicare beneficiaries. The company reached patients through contacts with physicians, clinics and Volunteers in Health Care, a resource center for organizations that provide care to the uninsured.

Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services Inc., a company subsidiary, will identify 30 metropolitan areas for intensive efforts to inform patients who might benefit from the program. Outreach has begun in St. Louis.

Dee Mahan, deputy health-policy director for the consumer group Families USA, said the Express Scripts program is not a substitute for good prescription-drug coverage. "But certainly, anyone who's on a generic drug that's not one of the cheapest generics should look into it," Mahan said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FOR A CLOSER LOOK: Rx Outreach is an Express Scripts program that sells discounted generic drugs to people who meet income-eligibility requirements.

--How to enroll: To find out more or to request an enrollment application, call 1-800-769-3880 or go online to www. rxoutreach.com

--How it works: Applicants must mail a written prescription for a three- or six-month supply of each drug they want to purchase. There's no cost to join the program. Participants pay $18 for a three-month supply of any drug on the list, or $30 for a six-month supply.

--What's included: More than 50 drugs are available through the program, including naproxen for arthritis, albuterol for asthma, hydrochlorothiazide for high blood pressure, tamoxifen for cancer, metformin for diabetes and omeprazole for heartburn.

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(c) 2004, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

ESRX,

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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