DETROIT, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The generic drug savings program initiated by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been recognized by Harvard Medical School as a national model that has enhanced health care affordability. The recognition was announced today by Scott P. Serota, president of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, at the annual World Health Congress in Washington. Below is a copy of the statement released by BCBSA.
From BCBSA:
Harvard Medical School researchers have selected Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s “Generic Drugs - The Unadvertised Brand” as a model BlueWorks program for keeping prescription drugs safe and affordable.
“A first-of-its-kind collaboration between Harvard Medical School and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) showcases innovative BlueWorks initiatives that are enhancing healthcare affordability and quality and that can be replicated in local communities across the country,” said BCBSA President and CEO Scott P. Serota, in remarks today at the Annual World Health Care Congress meeting here.
The Michigan Blues program urges consumers, doctors and pharmacists to choose generic equivalents when filling prescriptions, using a combination of benefit design, financial incentives and an educational campaign.
The program is having an impact, as the Michigan Blues report savings topping $130 million in the last three years. Michigan Blues members also have saved more than $19 million in out-of-pocket costs by using generics during that time. Estimates show a one-percentage point increase in the sales of generics results in savings of $17 million for Michigan Blues customers alone.
Harvard Medical School’s focus on generic drugs is particularly important today as many people struggle to afford safe, high-quality medications. According to a recent national survey by Peter Hart Research on behalf of BCBSA, 87 percent of consumers have used a generic prescription drug, with most (72 percent) likely to purchase a generic when their doctor prescribes medication.
Even with growing public acknowledgement of the value of generic medications, there is room to improve, as generics represent about half of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States, but account for only 8 percent of every dollar spent on prescription drugs.
“It is in all our best interest to encourage generic use as an effective strategy to keeping prescription drugs affordable,” Serota said. “It might sound like old news, but it’s as important today as ever.”
“The importance of the BlueWorks program is the process of evaluating what is working today and sharing those findings with as broad of an audience as possible,” said Barbara McNeil, M.D., Chair of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy. “Out of this program, it is our hope that community and clinical partnerships continue to grow in an effort to keep quality health care affordable.
“The Michigan program represents an important effort to understand how health plans can be most effective in maintaining high quality, affordable health care,” Dr. McNeil said. “When our full report is complete in a few weeks, it will provide important guidance to Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, as well as other insurers implementing programs on optimal ways to increase the use of generic drugs and similar efforts.”
The BlueWorks program was launched in October 2003. Harvard Medical School researchers report on Blue Plan programs that encourage improvements in quality care, keep drugs safe and affordable and empower consumers with the tools they need to make better health care decisions. In addition to the Michigan Blues’ generics program, 15 programs from Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies across the country have earned BlueWorks recognition. For a complete list of BlueWorks winners, go to http://www.bcbs.com/blueworks .
The World Health Care Congress brings together the nation’s healthcare leaders -- including physicians, hospital administrators, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, business leaders and policy makers -- to focus on healthcare quality, accountability and cost-effectiveness.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit corporation, provides or administers health care benefits to nearly 4.8 million members through a variety of plans: Traditional Blue Cross Blue Shield; Blue Preferred, Community Blue and Healthy Blue PPOs; Blue Choice Point of Service; Blue Care Network HMO, and Blue HSA(SM) plans compatible with health savings accounts. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit http://www.bcbsm.com/
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is made up of 40 independent, locally owned and operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for more than 91 million -- nearly one-in-three -- Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its Plans, please visit http://www.bcbs.com/ .
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
CONTACT: Helen Stojic of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,+1-313-225-8113, mediarelations@bcbsm.com