Starlight HealthHealth Navigation Platform with Pharmacy Benefit Manager selected be healthy with me Join its network of partners aiming to reduce drug spending and improve outcomes, PBM announced on Monday.
WithMe touts its personally tailored approach to helping patients in need of medication support, such as those managing multiple health conditions. The San Mateo, California-based company describes itself as more personal and cost-effective than traditional PBM, and sees itself as a digital front door.
“The pharmacy is the most common point of contact [within] WithMe President and CEO Joe Murad said in a statement:
San Francisco-based Castlight has formed multiple ecosystem partnerships targeting specific diseases and conditions, making pharmacy a clear priority, according to the companies.
“We’ve built a best-in-class portfolio of ecosystem partners with the goal of bringing together a broad and comprehensive set of resources to meet our customers’ most pressing needs,” stated Matt Moran, Castlight’s senior vice president of corporate development. “It’s clear that our clients put pharmacy management first, and so do we.”
WithMe members have 24/7 virtual access to its in-house experts, primarily pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, who act as “medication guides.” Members can also get help through its Medication Guide app, which contains member profiles and generates recommended interventions based on clinical information and analysis.
“For us, WithMe stands out not only for their purpose-built mobile technology, but also for their highly proactive outreach to members from drug guides to flag cost savings and clinical improvement opportunities,” Moran said. “It’s the same high-tech, high-touch philosophy we have at Castlight.”
Rather than focusing on one aspect of care or using different solutions to reduce costs, these companies are trying to make it easier for employers and health plans to access multiple solutions and savings in one place.
“We know that program sponsors are facing point solution fatigue and members are confused about the resources available to them,” said Sean Giuliani, WithMe’s vice president, in a statement. “Through the integration with Castlight, we can simplify the customer experience and further enhance WithMe’s resources so members can benefit the most from medication administration support.”
WithMe’s services will be recommended to members directly in the Castlight app and in Castlight’s Care Guide. Many members will also receive direct calls from the WithMe Medication Guide with information on how to save money and get help with taking their medications as directed, as well as information on drug interactions and safety reviews, and help monitor the progression of disease and symptoms.
As the three PBM firms Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx, which control most of the market, continue to come under scrutiny and criticized for a lack of transparency, other smaller players are positioning themselves as alternatives.This includes companies like capital receipt and Navitusit has vowed to increase transparency, reduce costs and pass on more savings to consumers.
For its part, WithMe said its medication guidance service could also be added as an overlay to a client’s existing PBM “to provide oversight of the PBM and a more engaging member experience.”
Photo: elenabs, Getty Images
