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Upcoming Events featuring
National CooperativeRx
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Iowa CUPA-HR Meeting September 28
Coralville, IA
Learn more
Iowa SHRM Meeting September 28-29
Coralville, IA
Learn more
2011 Wisconsin SHRM State Conference
October 12-14
Madison, WI
Learn more
National Prescription Drug Take Back Event
October 29
Nationwide
Learn more
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National CooperativeRx is a not-for-profit coalition founded and owned by plan sponsors to achieve higher value prescription benefits through volume purchasing, clinical solutions, actionable data and unparalleled customer service. For your sales and marketing needs, please contact us at 866-679-9479, extension 223
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Implementation of Plan Design Changes
Do you have plan changes that you'd like to take effect January 1, 2012? If so, we recommend that they are submitted by October to ensure they're in place on time.
We here at National CooperativeRx do recognize that different business priorities and enrollment periods can drive a different timeline. We do not have a firm deadline for submitting year-end changes, but we do strongly encourage groups to submit their changes as early as possible. By submitting changes early, we will be able to work with Caremark to implement a timeline that meets your needs, and we will be able to allocate sufficient time for testing the changes prior to going live. If you have changes that may be coming later, please let us know what changes are being considered.
Please let us know if you're considering any of the following plan changes:
- Enhancing coverage by adding new programs or services
- Adding new groups/segments of business effective January 1, 2012
- Updating your reporting access
- Modifying plan design components, such as copay amounts, deductibles, drug limitations or prior authorizations
- Updating member communications, including sending new identification cards or member education materials
- Changing how eligibility is submitted
If you have questions regarding your plan, please contact your CVS Caremark representative or Shawn Frederickson:
Shawn Frederickson
Strategic Account Executive
National CooperativeRx
(608) 204-9479
sfrederickson@nationalcooperativerx.com
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Health.com. A new study done in Japan is more bad news for people with diabetes. Diabetes is currently known to increase one's risk of heart attack and stroke, but the new study links diabetes with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. (Harding, 9/19) Full story
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Health.com. High blood pressure is still the major risk factor for stroke, but depression has now been linked as another risk factor. People with depression are more likely to experience strokes, and their strokes are more likely to be fatal. Although only 4% of strokes are thought to be related to depression, when you see that 795,000 people experience strokes each year, that's almost 32,000 people. (MacMillan, 9/20) Full story
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CBS. Federal prosecutors have been going after drug companies for years for inflating the cost of drugs sold to Medicaid. Because the government is banned from negotiating drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid, they're supposed to receive the average wholesale price. Drug companies have in the past illegally inflated prices to see bigger profits and are now paying the penalty. Iowa has released a list of the
$1.6B it believes it's state alone overpaid over the past 13 years- listing which companies overcharged, and by how much. Pfizer was the worst, overcharging Iowa by an estimated $222M. (Edwards, 9/22) Full story
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CBS. Is Bristol-Meyers Squibb getting bought out in the future? Maybe. It's running 32% more efficiently than it was 4 years ago and its new cancer drug Yervoy made $95M in the first quarter of its release. This author explains why he thinks it could get bought out, and why he predicts the buyer to be either Bayer or Eli Lily. (Edwards, 9/20) Full story
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CNN Money. Employee health care benefit costs are predicted to go up again this year as health insurance costs are expected to increase 5.4%. This is the lowest rise in 15 years, but still way beyond the general rate of inflation (3.9%) and salary growth. (Brunswick, 9/22) Full story
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Kaiser Health News. In attempt to reduce spending by $320B from health programs, Obama is proposing to accomplish cuts by "changing how the federal government pays health providers, slashing payments to drug companies, and dramatically changing the way it splits the costs of Medicaid with the states" according to a White House fact sheet. (Galewitz, 9/19) Full story
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New York Times. An industry group reported that generic drugs have saved consumers and the government $931B over the past 10 years, and that number is expected to increase dramatically as 22 more drugs are scheduled to go off patent this year. (Wilson, 9/21) Full story
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