Cigna to buy Express Scripts...

[car_jog]

How could this impact our industry, especially agents?


Cigna Agrees to Buy Express Scripts in Major Health Care Deal

 

[Chazm]

Doesn’t impact me at all that I can see.

 

[rousemark]

Wonder if they will raise the premiums as drastically as they did on the Cigna HealthSpring RX?

 

[sman]

Seeing that Cigna nor Express Scripts pay commission on PDP, I don't see how it impacts brokers in the least. As for how it impacts the industry, until they rebrand Express Scripts it won't change a thing. And then when they do, it just means there might be one or two fewer options.

 

[LostDollar]

Or if Anthem creates their own, as the article suggests, the number of options would stay the same?

 

[sman]

Or if Anthem creates their own, as the article suggests, the number of options would stay the same?

Anthem offers PDP under Blue Cross. I believe the article said they have plans to create their own pharmacy business. That's entirely different than a prescription plan.

 

[LostDollar]

Ok, thanks.

 

[kgmom219]

The issue is that there's only going to be 5 or 6 PBMs, all fighting for the same rebate (bribe) dollars.

Express(Cigna)
Medco
Caremark (Aetna)
Optum (UHC)
Prime (Some of the Blues)

There's a handful of small, regional players.

Less competition is never a good thing