Optum RX Announces Changes to Payment Models and Prescriptions' Access
Optum Rx has announced that it will align payment models more closely to the costs pharmacies may face due to manufacturer pricing actions. The press release stated that this change will positively impact Optum Rx non-affiliated network pharmacies, including the more than 24,000 independent, community pharmacies.
"This move will help correct imbalances in how pharmacies are paid for brand and generic drugs and will ensure greater access to medicines for patients across the country," Patrick Conway, M.D., CEO of Optum RX, said in a statement.
Additionally, the UnitedHealth Group's pharmacy benefit manager announced that it will eliminate up to 25 percent of reauthorizations, equal to more than 10 percent of overall pharmacy prior authorizations.
The initiative focuses first on approximately 80 drugs, and Optum Rx will work with physicians and pharmacists to expand the list over time, according to the news release.
"These changes mean easier access to medications for consumers, less work for pharmacists and physicians, and a simplified system focused on clinical quality," Conway explained in a statement.
