Successful Prescription Drug Discount Program Expands to Benefit More Consumers at Point-of-Sale

• Builds on last year’s move to directly deliver pharmacy discounts to UnitedHealthcare’s fully insured members at the point-of-sale; consumers already seeing average savings of $130 per eligible prescription in 2019
• Applies to all new self-funded employer customers, ensuring negotiated prescription plan discounts are passed on to consumers at the point of sale within applicable plan designs
• Programs strengthen prescription drug adherence by up to 16%, lead to improved patient health

Programs strengthen prescription drug adherence by up to 16%, lead to improved patient health (March 12, 2019) – Building on the introduction of the first-of-its-kind point-of-sale discount program, Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare are expanding their innovative consumer point-of-sale prescription drug discount programs to apply to all new employer-sponsored plans, making medications more affordable and improving health outcomes.

Specifically, for new business proposals beginning January 2020, Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare will only support new employer clients that incorporate point-of-sale discounts to consumers as part of their plan design. This expansion builds on the existing point-of-sale discount programs, announced a year ago and effective January 1, 2019, which will serve more than 9 million consumers this year. Commitments made to support existing clients prior to this date will be grandfathered, including those currently in the sales cycle for January 1, 2020 effective dates. While such plan designs have been previously available to all employer customers, this expansion is expected to accelerate adoption of point-of-sale discounts across all types of commercial business, including self-funded.

Just two months into the year, the existing program has already lowered prescription drug costs for consumers by an average of $130 per eligible prescription. UnitedHealthcare data analytics demonstrate that when consumers do not have a deductible or large out-of-pocket cost, medication adherence improves by between 4 and 16 percent depending on plan design, contributing to better health and reducing total health care costs for clients and the health system overall.

“Optum Rx is uniquely able to deploy the broadest range of tools to rein in high drug prices, and this expanded point-of-sale discount program demonstrates our commitment to delivering better prices for consumers," said John Prince, chief executive officer, Optum Rx.

Existing Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare clients will have the option to adopt these plan designs during contract renewal. Prior to implementing the expansion of this program, Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare have delivered negotiated drug manufacturer rebates and discounts directly to employer clients, who have generally utilized them to either reduce premiums for all members or pass them on at the point of sale.

Optum Rx’s efforts to control the high prices of drugs extends beyond the point-of-sale discount program. Through uniquely integrated clinical programs, innovative consumer engagement solutions and engagement with pharmaceutical companies and retail pharmacies, Optum Rx improves health outcomes and saves clients and consumers billions of dollars annually.

To learn more about Optum Rx’s pharmacy care services, visit www.Optum.com.

About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Optum
Drew Krejci
Tel: (952) 205-6652
andrew.krejci@optum.com

UnitedHealthcare
Daryl Richard
Tel: (860) 702-7779
daryl_richard@uhg.com