Discount giant dives deeper into healthcare
Walmart has made a new move to get affordable prescriptions into the hands of customers — regardless of their insurance coverage.
Walmart has announced that it is extending its relationship with pharmacy benefit management company Express Scripts. Through the new deal, Walmart will provide prescription drug services to Express Scripts’ covered members. Additionally, both companies will provide affordable prescription drug services to underinsured and uninsured customers — a population that could impact “millions” of Americans, according to Walmart.
Through the deal, Walmart will have access to Express Scripts' unique pricing on dozens of brand-name prescription drugs. This is possible due to Express Scripts’ negotiations with major drug manufacturers to lower the cost of high-priced medications.
For example, Express Scripts’ InsideRx solution provides discounts, on average 40%, to uninsured Americans on a growing number of important brand-name prescription drugs.
"Helping customers save money and live better is our mission at Walmart, and a key component of that is to help them save money on healthcare like prescription drugs," said Luke Kleyn, VP, payer relations at Walmart. "This new agreement helps both insured and uninsured Americans access to affordable prescriptions."
The new deal builds upon Walmart's $4 prescription drug program. Collaboration with Express Scripts will help the discounter offer additional cost-effective solutions, the company said.
The partnership also comes on the heels of Walmart’s recent announcement that it teamed up with Anthem, one of the nation’s leading health benefits companies, to provide discounts on over-the-counter medications, products and services. The new Anthem-Walmart program, which will launch in January 2019, will enable consumers who are enrolled in Anthem’s affiliated Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to use OTC plan allowances to purchase OTC medications and health-related items, such as first aid supplies, support braces, and pain relievers at Walmart’s 4,700 stores and online.
Walmart has announced that it is extending its relationship with pharmacy benefit management company Express Scripts. Through the new deal, Walmart will provide prescription drug services to Express Scripts’ covered members. Additionally, both companies will provide affordable prescription drug services to underinsured and uninsured customers — a population that could impact “millions” of Americans, according to Walmart.
Through the deal, Walmart will have access to Express Scripts' unique pricing on dozens of brand-name prescription drugs. This is possible due to Express Scripts’ negotiations with major drug manufacturers to lower the cost of high-priced medications.
For example, Express Scripts’ InsideRx solution provides discounts, on average 40%, to uninsured Americans on a growing number of important brand-name prescription drugs.
"Helping customers save money and live better is our mission at Walmart, and a key component of that is to help them save money on healthcare like prescription drugs," said Luke Kleyn, VP, payer relations at Walmart. "This new agreement helps both insured and uninsured Americans access to affordable prescriptions."
The new deal builds upon Walmart's $4 prescription drug program. Collaboration with Express Scripts will help the discounter offer additional cost-effective solutions, the company said.
The partnership also comes on the heels of Walmart’s recent announcement that it teamed up with Anthem, one of the nation’s leading health benefits companies, to provide discounts on over-the-counter medications, products and services. The new Anthem-Walmart program, which will launch in January 2019, will enable consumers who are enrolled in Anthem’s affiliated Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to use OTC plan allowances to purchase OTC medications and health-related items, such as first aid supplies, support braces, and pain relievers at Walmart’s 4,700 stores and online.