CVS Caremark Maintenance Choice Program Improves Medication Adherence for US Airways Employees and Dependents

WOONSOCKET, R.I. and TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Since US Airways implemented CVS Caremark's (NYSE: CVS) Maintenance Choice program in January 2009, the company's employees and dependents have become more consistent in refilling their maintenance medications – a key driver of overall employee health, CVS Caremark and US Airways reported at a National Business Group on Health conference today. In addition, US Airways' employees have reported high satisfaction with the program, which provides them the flexibility and convenience of being able to select either mail order delivery for their maintenance medications to treat chronic conditions, or be able to pick up their refills at thousands of CVS/pharmacy locations nationwide, at the typically lower mail order rate and copay.

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US Airways had previously implemented a program through which employees and dependents were required to receive their maintenance medications through the mail. The benefits team recognized that Maintenance Choice could provide an opportunity for US Airways to continue to manage pharmacy costs, while offering their employees convenient options to receive their maintenance prescriptions via mail or at retail.  In addition to positive feedback from US Airways' employees about the program's convenience and flexibility, data from January 2009 - May 2010 shows that the percentage of US Airways members that were optimally adherent to medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol improved by as much as 18 percentage points.

"The Maintenance Choice program is a great fit for our organization," said Pam Weier, Director of Benefits, US Airways.  "Not only does this program allow the company to get the benefit of mail order rates on 90-day prescriptions at a retail drug store, but more importantly it provides a local venue for our members to pick up their medications at their convenience.  Historically, members of our team who travel frequently were reluctant to use mail service for their prescriptions when their schedule didn't allow them to be home to receive it.  Now that we have implemented Maintenance Choice, those same members have embraced the program and truly appreciate the flexibility and convenience of picking up their prescriptions at a local CVS/pharmacy."

"Maintenance Choice helps our clients improve health outcomes and reduce costs, while minimizing member disruption," said Per Lofberg, President, Pharmacy Benefit Management, CVS Caremark.  "Maintenance Choice provides value to our clients and their members because it increases access and convenience and helps encourage and improve adherence to chronic medications."

Maintenance Choice is unique in that it provides CVS Caremark PBM clients and their members with an opportunity to realize the cost-savings of 90-day prescriptions, along with the flexibility to select the most convenient way for members to receive their maintenance medications. Members can choose to receive their maintenance medications by mail or at any of the approximately 7,100 CVS/pharmacy retail stores nationwide.  Regardless of which channel the member selects they pay the typically lower mail copay, while the plan sponsor receives the typically lower mail rate. In addition, depending on the overall plan design, members may continue to pick up their 30-day supply prescriptions for acute or short-term conditions at any one of the more than 64,000 participating pharmacies in the CVS Caremark retail pharmacy network, which includes national retail chains as well as the majority of independent pharmacies.

CVS Caremark reports that as of the end of the second quarter of 2010 more than 525 clients, representing approximately 6.3 million lives, have enrolled in Maintenance Choice as an option to improve convenience, increase adherence and reduce costs for chronic medications.  

About US Airways

US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,200 flights per day and serves more than 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 31,000 aviation professionals worldwide and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. For more company information, visit usairways.com.

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. Through our integrated offerings across the entire spectrum of pharmacy care, we are uniquely positioned to provide greater access, to engage plan members in behaviors that improve their health, and to lower overall health care costs for health plans, plan sponsors and their members. CVS Caremark is a market leader in mail order pharmacy, retail pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, and retail clinics, and is a leading provider of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As one of the country's largest pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), we provide access to a network of more than 64,000 pharmacies, including approximately 7,100 CVS/pharmacy stores that provide unparalleled service and capabilities. Our clinical expertise includes one of the industry's most comprehensive disease management programs. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Company's Web site at http://info.cvscaremark.com.

SOURCE CVS Caremark