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Press Releases
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Press ReleaseAmeriHealth New Jersey Waives Copayments For Generic Drugs Through March 31, 2007Members who switch from brand name to generics can save up to $40 a month for each drug Mt. Laurel, NJ - January 25, 2007 - Many AmeriHealth New Jersey members will pay nothing for new prescriptions or refills for covered generics filled at participating retail pharmacies or by mail order from now through March 31, 2007. The goal of this first-ever promotion, called No Pay Copay, is to help members understand how the appropriate long-term use of generics can save them money while providing the same health benefits as brand name drugs. “By waiving copays and lowering out-of-pocket costs, we will help educate our members that generics are a safe and cost effective alternative to brand drugs,” said Judith L. Roman, president and CEO of AmeriHealth New Jersey. “We anticipate that the savings members can enjoy from this promotion will encourage many to speak to their doctors about switching to less expensive generics. Members who do switch during the No Pay Copay promotion may even decide that continuing to use generic drugs in place of brand medications will be an important step in helping to lower their overall health expenses.” Copayments or coinsurance will automatically be waived when an eligible AmeriHealth New Jersey member presents his or her generic prescription and member ID card at any of the participating AmeriHealth New Jersey network pharmacies during the first quarter of 2007. Copays or coinsurance for members who already take generic medications or who switch to generics will also be waived until March 31. For AmeriHealth members, the average monthly out-of-pocket savings for moving from a brand drug to an appropriate generic is $5 to $40, depending on the member’s plan. However, during the No Pay Copay promotional period, members will pay nothing for generic prescriptions, saving even more. Prescription drug costs are one of the fastest growing components of U.S. health care expenditures, accounting for $188.5 billion in 2004, according to a June 2006 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Last year, generics became available for several blockbuster drugs whose patents expired, including those for treating high cholesterol, insomnia, depression, and digestive disorders. “Generic drugs are identical in composition and quality to their brand-name counterparts and meet the same health and safety standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” said Dr. Allan B. Goldstein, AmeriHealth New Jersey’s Vice President and Regional Medical Director. “But they typically cost 30 to 70 percent less than comparable brand-name drugs.” “We will continue to cover a wide spectrum of FDA-approved brand and generic drugs in our formulary to provide members with ample choice in their drug benefit,” said Goldstein. “However, our members will have more incentive to use generics since they’ll spend more in copays and coinsurance for the brand drugs, both those that are in our formulary and those that are not, than they will for generics.” Generics: Safe, cost effective alternatives to brand drugs Indistinguishable in composition and quality to their brand name counterparts, generic drugs may be used interchangeably with brand name drugs to treat the identical health conditions. Generics, however, have significantly lower development and marketing costs than brand drugs and, as a result, will often cost a fraction of their brand name equivalents. According to the Congressional Budget Office, generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 to $10 billion a year at retail pharmacies with no sacrifice in quality or effectiveness. A pharmacist may dispense a generic equivalent for drugs that have both a brand and generic version available, unless a physician has prescribed a specific brand name drug to be dispensed as written. A member who wants to try a generic can ask his or her doctor to consider writing a prescription for a drug with a generic equivalent, when appropriate. Most members with AmeriHealth New Jersey pharmacy benefits are eligible for the generic copay/coinsurance waiver. Not eligible for this program are members with Medicare Part D drug plans, or who are covered under integrated prescription drug plan such as Major Medical, Comprehensive Major Medical and AmeriHealth PPO HSA-Qualified, or HMO members who belong to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program or the New Jersey State Health Benefit Plan. Members can get more information about the No Pay Copay promotion and generic drugs by visiting the No Pay Copay Promotion. About AmeriHealth New Jersey AmeriHealth New Jersey has been recognized for its commitment to providing high quality products and service. AmeriHealth HMO of New Jersey has received the highest possible accreditation by the national leader in HMO quality evaluation, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
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