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HealthPartners expands pay-for-performance to pharmacies
Bonuses announced for efficiency, patient satisfaction
February 9, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. Eight pharmacy chains in Minnesota earned bonuses for meeting target measures to improve patient satisfaction and efficiency. The awards are for three new pharmacy measures in HealthPartners pay-for-performance program.
"These awards recognize the critical role that pharmacists play in ensuring medication safety and appropriate use. They are also instrumental in helping patients save money by educating them about pill splitting and alternative generics," said Richard Bruzek, HealthPartners vice president for pharmacy services. HealthPartners awarded bonuses to the following pharmacy chains: Cub Foods, Fairview, Goodrich, HealthPartners Clinics, HealthPartners Central Minnesota, Regions Hospital, St. Paul Corner Drug and Setzers.
Pharmacies earned awards for meeting three stretch goals on overall patient satisfaction, getting advice from a pharmacist and for pill-splitting. The pharmacy measures are the latest additions to HealthPartners Partners in Excellence program, which already includes awards for generic prescribing. Sixty-four percent of prescriptions among HealthPartners members are for generic drugs, compared to 51 percent in 2003. Every one percent increase in generic drug use reduces expenses by $5 million.
"Expanding pay-for-performance to pharmacy provides another incentive to improve health care quality which will ultimately help make health care more affordable for everyone," said Bruzek.
About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of healthcare companies serve more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. For the third year in a row, HealthPartners is rated one of the best commercial health plans in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, NCQA's "America's Best Health Plans 2007" and is ranked "Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Region" by J.D. Power and Associates.
Contact: 952-883-5308
Pager: 612-527-1921
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