BCBSTX Collaborated with Prime Therapeutics on This Innovative, Improved Drug Therapy Program, Recognized by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Harvard Medical School

Richardson, TX — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), in collaboration with Prime Therapeutics (Prime), announced today that it has implemented an award-winning integrated medical and pharmacy claims program — “Enhancing Statin Therapy Efficiency.” A key element of the program is identifying members who are at-risk for a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) and who are untreated or not consistently adhering to their doctor-prescribed drug treatment, called statin therapy. The Enhancing Statin Therapy Efficiency program has been successful in helping patients improve compliance with a prescribed regimen, potentially preventing events such as heart attacks. In addition, the program shifted dependence from brand-name statins to less expensive generics to save money.

"The secret of this program," says Tom Tran, division vice president of Pharmacy Programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, "is that it provides meaningful and actionable information to the physicians of at-risk patients under their care, to reinforce the importance of statin therapy. Thanks to this program, BCBSTX patients who were identified as at-risk of a major cardiac event, but who failed to take statins, were almost 3 times more likely than a control group to start on the cholesterol-lowering treatment."

The Enhancing Statin Therapy Efficiency program has received a BlueWorks award from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). The BlueWorks program is a unique collaboration between the BCBSA and Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy, who serve as judges for the “Best of Blue“awards program. Through the BlueWorks program, Harvard researchers evaluate and select Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies’ local programs for recognition based on their innovation, efficacy, robust design and potential for replication.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Prime share a commitment to offering benefit plans that maximize member health while managing increasing health care costs", says Tim Dickman, president and CEO of Prime. "Prime is pleased to have been instrumental in implementing the Enhanced Statin Therapy Efficiency program with BCBSTX and congratulates them for their recognition of excellence among Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans across the country."

About BCBSTX

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 40,000 physicians and 400 hospitals to serve 4 million members in all 254 counties. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall. HCSC is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Prime Therapeutics

Prime Therapeutics LLC is a pharmacy benefit management company dedicated to providing innovative, clinically based, cost-effective pharmacy solutions for clients and members. Providing pharmacy benefit services nationwide to approximately 14.6 million covered lives, its client base includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, employer and union groups, and third-party administrators. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Prime Therapeutics is collectively owned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those Plans. Learn more at Prime Theraputics .

For More Information Contact:

• News Media Contact: margaret_jarvis@bcbstx.com, (972) 766-7165
• Corporate Headquarters: (972) 766-6900