CINCINNATI, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on March 25, 2004 that PBM Plus, Inc., a subsidiary of Omnicare, Inc., was selected to offer a Medicare-Endorsed Drug Discount Card to more than 41 million Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.
Beginning on May 3, 2004, Medicare beneficiaries could begin enrolling in PBM Plus Senior Care, a Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card, which will lower their prescription drug costs at more than 35,000 retail pharmacies in the PBM Plus network, nationwide. PBM Plus Senior Care discounts become effective on the first day of the month following enrollment. This program will benefit individuals with no outpatient prescription drug coverage. Beneficiaries whose income is below specified levels may also receive a $600 credit from CMS in 2004, and again in 2005. The $30 annual enrollment fee will be paid by CMS for those receiving the $600 credit.
In addition, PBM Plus is one of only three sponsors specially endorsed by CMS to provide qualified beneficiaries with access to the $600 credit while residing in a nursing facility. It is important to note that CMS does not require nor intend for long-term care pharmacies to provide discounted prices due to the unique services required in nursing facilities such as special packaging, delivery and emergency services. While the PBM Plus Senior Care card accordingly does not provide discounts on medications from long term care pharmacies, the $600 per year Medicare credit will provide qualified beneficiaries with meaningful assistance in meeting their medication costs. PBM Plus Senior Care provides easy enrollment by Mail, phone at 800-676-8399, fax at 866-892-3660, or web site at http://www.4seniorcarerx.com/ .
PBM Plus is a full-service pharmacy benefit management company (PBM) founded in 1994, and acquired by Omnicare, Inc. in 1997. PBM Plus is headquartered in Milford, OH, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Omnicare, a Fortune 500 company based in Covington, Kentucky, is a leading provider of pharmaceutical care for the elderly. Omnicare serves residents in long-term care facilities comprising approximately 1,050,000 beds in 47 states and the District of Columbia, making it the nation’s largest provider of professional pharmacy, related consulting and data management services for skilled nursing, assisted living and other institutional healthcare providers. Omnicare also provides clinical research services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in 29 countries worldwide. Omnicare is widely known as the creator of the Omnicare Geriatric Pharmaceutical Care Guidelines(R), the nation’s first clinically based formulary tailored to the geriatric population.
PBM Plus, Inc.
CONTACT: Marc Weiss, Director of Sales and Marketing of PBM Plus, Inc.,+1-513-248-3072, or 888-863-1726 Extension 1526
