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BENTONVILLE, Ark. — At a time when seniors are weighing which Medicare Part D plan to enroll in for 2013, Humana Inc. and Walmart are making their offering more appealing, particularly for those with high blood pressure.
Beginning in 2013, 10 hypertension drugs will be available for one cent each for members of the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan who fill their prescriptions at a Walmart or Sam’s Club pharmacy.
“A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that close to 70% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older have hypertension,” said Humana Pharmacy Solutions president William Fleming. “This statistic underscores the importance of offering affordable, high-quality prescription drugs to baby boomers and other beneficiaries as part of the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan.”
The covered drugs are: Lisinopril, Hydrochlorothiazide, Metoprolol Tartrate, Atenolol, Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide, Triamterene-Hydrochlorothiazid, Enalapril Maleate, Benazepril, Nadolol and Captopril.
Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan members will pay $0.01 for each of these drugs through all phases of their benefit, the companies say, regardless of whether they have met their deductible or are in the coverage gap.
The companies say the new plan feature builds on their ongoing efforts to provide low-cost, high-quality and accessible health care options for Medicare beneficiaries.
“We are committed to making pharmaceuticals more affordable so our customers can ultimately live healthier lives,” said John Agwunobi, president of Walmart’s Health and Wellness Division. “The Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan will help eliminate out-of-pocket costs for high blood pressure treatments so more patients can follow the regimen prescribed by their physicians.”
Humana and Walmart introduced their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan in October 2010. The move came about four years after Walmart launched its game-changing $4 generics drug initiative. Like that move, the creation of its own prescription drug plan, in partnership with Humana, was another move in an ongoing campaign to boost Walmart’s market share in the drug store sector. The savings for members of the plan are only available through pharmacies at the retailer’s own stores or clubs, or through Humana’s prescription mail service.
The Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan has grown by more than 50% over the past year, according to the companies, and currently has nearly 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled.
