McKesson Wins Approval to Offer Medicare Drug Discount Card; Beneficiaries Will Receive Open Access to Prescriptions
McKesson Corporation, the world’s leading healthcare services company, announced today that it has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for its own prescription drug discount card for Medicare beneficiaries.
McKesson’s Rx Savings Access(TM) card provides competitive discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs, as well as generics. This simple, open formulary approach means that Medicare beneficiaries won’t have to switch physicians to get discounts on all of their medications and can continue to fill prescriptions at a local pharmacy. Enrollment for McKesson’s card will begin in May.
“By offering discounts on all brand name and prescription drugs covered by CMS, the Rx Savings Access card makes it easy for Medicare beneficiaries to obtain whatever medicines they need, from the pharmacists in our network they’ve come to trust,” said Paul Julian, president, McKesson Supply Solutions. “We’re looking forward to providing Medicare beneficiaries with what we believe will be a valuable and convenient plan, as well as working with the significant number of retail chains and independent pharmacies that have already committed to accept and support our card program.”
CMS has endorsed a limited number of discount drug cards as an interim step toward a single drug discount program for all Medicare beneficiaries in 2006. The cards from various sponsors are scheduled to become effective for all eligible Medicare beneficiaries on June 1, 2004. For more information about enrolling in the Rx Savings Access Card, Medicare beneficiaries should speak with their pharmacist.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) is a Fortune 16 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 170-year history, McKesson has grown to provide pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com .
