For Immediate Release — Thursday, September 18, 2003
Wilson Health Information finds Medco Health members most satisfied third straight year and announced as #1 mail service pharmacy.
NEW HOPE, PA – (PR NEWSWIRE) – September 18, 2003 – Wilson Health Information, America’s leading pharmacy satisfaction research firm, announced results from the 2003 WilsonRx® Survey which identified Medco Health Solutions as the top rated Pharmacy Benefit Manager for the third year in a row.
The WilsonRx® Pharmacy Benefit Satisfaction Report evaluates the nation's leading pharmacy benefit management companies, including: AdvancePCS, Aetna, Anthem, Caremark, Eckerd Health Services, Express Scripts/NPA, Medco Health, Prescription Solutions, RxPrime, Walgreens Health Initiatives & Wellpoint Pharmacy Management (Figure 1). The study found that nearly four-fifths of pharmacy customers have pharmacy benefit coverage and that Medco Health was the most popular PBM, followed by Express-Scripts, AdvancePCS and Caremark. Members were most highly satisfied with Medco Health's pharmacy benefit services. Medco Health’s mail service pharmacy was also rated number one in customer satisfaction among households who reported using mail service.
“Among all of the PBM issues measured, members ranked the ability to get the prescribed medication they expected, out of pocket costs for prescription drugs, and the ease and ability of getting prescriptions filled and refilled as most important,” according to Jim Wilson, President of Wilson Health Information. “Other important issues included easy to understand benefit and coverage information and notification of changes to plan coverage and covered medications.”
“ The survey also asked how likely each member was to re-enroll in their Pharmacy Benefit plan. The difference in re-enrollment between the highest and lowest rated PBM was 13,450 per 100,000 members. Satisfaction with the prescription drug benefit is also crucial to retaining health insurance members,” said Wilson. In fact, considerable loyalty differences were seen between those who were “highly satisfied” with their pharmacy benefit and those who were only “satisfied.” Members who were “highly satisfied” with their PBM were more than twice as likely to intend to re-enroll in their health plan and more than three times as likely to recommend their pharmacy benefit plan to a friend or relative, compared to members who were simply satisfied (Figure 2). By focusing on what is most important, plans will retain more members”, said Wilson.
Wilson Health Information, LLC, an independent privately owned healthcare consumer research company that provides unique insight into pharmacy, pharmacy benefit, health insurance and treatment related issues. For more information, contact Jim Wilson at (215) 862-4581 or contact us.
THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE USED FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM WILSON HEALTH INFORMATION, LLC
