Public Employee Press

Drug firm sold; no interruption seen in members’ prescription benefit

The Health & Security Plan’s prescription drug benefit manager, Innoviant, has been purchased by UnitedHealthcare, which is part of the nation’s largest health insurer, United Health Group.

Innoviant President Mark Campbell has assured the plan that there will be no change in how UnitedHealthcare handles the union’s drug benefit, and that the current contract, which expires on June 30, 2009, will continue to be honored.

Members will continue to have their prescriptions filled as they have before without any interruption, stated Cynthia Chin-Marshall, the plan’s administrator.

In recent years, United Health Group has been on an aggressive campaign to acquire other health-related businesses throughout the United States. Innoviant’s parent company, Fiserv Inc., announced plans for the sale late last year, and the trustees of the Health and Security Plan quickly met with Campbell to discuss the impact of the move. In January, Marshall announced the sale to the DC 37 Delegates Council and assured them that the sale will not affect the prescription drug coverage of members and retirees.

The union works hard to protect the drug benefit, which accounts for three-quarters of the plan’s budget.  “Besides aggressively negotiating the best contracts we can get and enforcing those contracts, we also sue wrongdoers in the pharmaceutical industry whose greed and ­illegal activities drive up the cost we all pay for prescription drugs,” Marshall said.

The plan also weighs in on important legislation aimed at regulating this basically unregulated industry.

“With costs constantly rising, when it comes to what we spend on health care, we all need to be smart, tough-minded consumers,” Marshall said.