Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Form New Medication Contracting Organization

Announced recently, Synergie Medication Collective (Synergie) is a new medication contracting organization founded by a group of Blue Cross and Blue Shield affiliated companies to serve both Blues and select independent health plans.

Synergie is focused on improving affordability and access to costly medical benefit drugs — ones that are injected or infused by a health care professional in a clinical setting — for nearly 100 million Americans. These high-cost treatments include multi-million-dollar gene therapies and infusible cancer drugs and represent a substantial portion of overall drug spend, with significant growth in future spend anticipated.

Synergie aims to significantly reduce medical benefit drug costs by establishing a more efficient contracting model based upon its collective reach and engagement with pharmaceutical manufacturers and other industry stakeholders. Jarrod Henshaw has been named Synergie’s chief executive officer.

Synergie will operate as an independent business, creating additional value and efficiency for its founders and customers. The following organizations are founding investors in Synergie:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
• Elevance Health
• Evio Pharmacy Solutions (founded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Blue Shield of California, Highmark Inc. and Independence Blue Cross)
• Prime Therapeutics (including Magellan Rx Management as part of Prime)
• Independent health plans serving members in communities across the country: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Blue Cross of Idaho, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, Premera Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermontand Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross plans provide nationwide healthcare coverage for 114.5 million members in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Nationwide, more than 1.7 million doctors and hospitals contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield companies.

Takeaway: At more than $100 billion, prescription drugs represented more than 20 percent of overall healthcare spending for Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) commercially insured members according to a report published in November 2018

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