MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — (Marketwired) — 10/09/13 — An eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) analysis of over 46,000 unique user sessions on eHealthMedicare.com and PlanPrescriber.com revealed that less than nine percent (9%) of individuals who take prescription medication for diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer-s disease, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) are in the Medicare Part D plan with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs available to them.
eHealth-s new study reviewed unique user sessions that occurred on eHealth-s Medicare plan comparison and enrollment web sites, eHealthMedicare.com and PlanPrescriber.com, during the 2013 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (also called Annual Election Period or AEP) between October 15, 2012 and December 7, 2012. The study focused specifically on those sessions in which a visitor entered their zip code, date of birth, the name of their current Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MAPD) plan or stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP), and the names, frequency and dosages of specific medications they were taking that are known to treat these specific illnesses.
The study found that 92 percent (92%) of Medicare enrollees who take medications for one of these four major illnesses were not in the lowest cost plan for the specific prescription drugs they were taking. The study found that individuals taking prescription medications for these specific drugs would save an average of $716 on prescription drugs in 2013 by switching to the MAPD plan or PDP with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs for their medications.
eHealth reviewed over 16,000 unique user sessions in which a customer entered one or more medications known to treat diabetes (as identified at WebMD.com – ). The analysis revealed that fewer than six (6%) of those users who took one or more diabetes-related medications were in the PDP with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs, and fewer than 12 percent (12%) were in the MAPD plan with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs.
A user enrolled in a PDP could have saved on average over $692 on prescription drugs in 2013 by switching to the PDP with lowest out-of-pocket costs for their diabetes medications. Similarly, a user enrolled in an MAPD plan could have saved on average over $624 by switching to the MAPD plan with the lowest out-of-pocket costs for their diabetes medications.
: Actos (pioglitazone), Amaryl (glimepiride), Avandia (rosiglitazone), Byetta (eventide), DiaBeta (glyburide), Glucophage (metformin), Glucovance (glyburide and metformin), Glynase (glyburide), Glyset (miglitol), Humalog (insulin lispro), Insulin Isophane, Invokana (canaglifozin), Januvia (sitagliptin), Kazano (alogliptin and metformin), Lantus (insulin glargine), Nesina (alogliptin), NovoLog (insulin aspart), Onglyza (saxagliptin), Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone), Prandin (repaglinide), Precose (acarbose), Starlix (nateglinide), Tradjenta (Linagliptin), Victoza (liraglutide).
eHealth reviewed over 27,000 unique user sessions in which a customer entered one or more medications known to treat heart disease (as identified at WebMD.com website – ). The analysis revealed that fewer than seven (7%) of users who took one or more heart disease-related medications were in the PDP with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs, and fewer than 14 (14%) were in the MAPD plan with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs.
A user enrolled in a PDP could have saved on average over $665 on prescription drugs 2013 by switching to the PDP with lowest out-of-pocket costs for their Heart Disease medication. Similarly, a user enrolled in an MAPD could have saved on average over $671 by switching to the MAPD with the lowest out-of-pocket costs for their Heart Disease medication.
: Lipitor, rosuvastatin (Crestor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravstatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor).
eHealth reviewed over 1,600 unique user sessions in which a customer entered one or more medications known to treat Alzheimer-s disease (as identified at WebMD.com – ). The analysis revealed that fewer than four percent (4%) of users who took one or more Alzheimer-s-related medications were in the PDP with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs, and fewer than seven percent (7%) were in the MAPD plan with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs.
A user enrolled in a PDP could have saved on average over $761 on prescription drugs 2013 by switching to the PDP with lowest out-of-pocket costs for their Alzheimer-s medications. Similarly, a user enrolled in an MAPD plan could have saved on average over $890 by switching to the MAPD with the lowest out-of-pocket costs for their Alzheimer-s medications.
: Aricept Oral, Exelon TD, donepezil Oral, Razadyne Oral, Exelon Oral, galantamine Oral, Razadyne ER Oral, Aricept ODT Oral, rivastigmine Oral, rivastigmine TD
eHealth reviewed over 2,000 unique user sessions in which a customer entered one or more medications known to treat COPD (as identified at WebMD.com – ). The analysis revealed that fewer than five percent (5%) of users who took one or COPD-related medications were in the Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP) with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs, and fewer than eleven percent (11%) were in the Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MAPD) plan with the lowest total out-of-pocket costs.
A user enrolled in a PDP could have saved on average over $744 on prescription drugs 2013 by switching to the PDP with lowest out-of-pocket costs for their COPD medications. Similarly, a user enrolled in an MAPD plan could have saved on average over $707 by switching to the MAPD with the lowest out-of-pocket costs for their COPD medications.
: Advair Diskus Inhl, Symbicort Inhl, Daliresp Oral, Foradil Aerolizer Inhl, Advair HFA Inhl, theophylline Oral, Atrovent HFA Inhl, Brovana Inhl, ipratropium bromide Inhl
Changes to one-s prescribed medications aside, the price a Medicare beneficiary pays for his or her prescription drugs can change significantly each year because many MAPD plans change the pricing, benefit tiers and formularies for drug coverage from year to year.
Typical changes that are made can include:
The drugs covered by a plan
The plan-s monthly premiums
The plan-s annual deductible, coinsurance and co-payments
The plan-s drug tiers, which are used to assign different coinsurance and co-payments to specific drugs
Any one of these changes can affect what an enrollee pays out of pocket, in a given year, for their drugs on the same PDP or MAPD plan. In certain instances, the lowest-cost plan for an enrollee-s particular drug regimen in one year may not be the lowest-cost plan in the following year.
The actual savings estimated during the unique user sessions can vary depending on things like geographic location, plan selection and other factors. The benefits and coverage may also vary between plans. The average savings presented in this report are based on the unique user sessions that occurred on eHealthMedicare.com and PlanPrescriber.com only.
This report analyzes more than 46,000 user sessions that occurred on eHealthMedicare.com and PlanPrescriber.com during the 2013 Medicare Annual Election period (also called Annual Enrollment Period or AEP), which took place between October 15 and December 7, 2012. In this analysis, user sessions constituted unique visits to eHealthMedicare.com and PlanPrescriber.com during AEP where customers entered their ZIP code; the name of their existing stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan; the names, dosages and frequency of prescription drugs they were taking, if any. The names of the drugs they entered into the tool were then compared to a list of popular medications for treating these illnesses. Those medications are listed above. For price comparison, this study assumes no changes in prescription or medical needs, as well as no changes in rates or drug prices during the applicable time period.
NOTE: Medicare beneficiaries base their plan selections on a variety of priorities, including price. eHealth encourages people to consider their specific needs in deciding which plans to select during AEP. Plan data listed in this report might change based on additional data received from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servicers (CMS) at a date later than the active date of the data or later than the published date of this report.
eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) operates , the nation-s first and largest private health insurance exchange where individuals, families and small businesses can compare health insurance products from leading insurers side by side and purchase and enroll in coverage online. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 200 of the nation-s leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help Medicare beneficiaries navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through eHealthMedicare.com () and PlanPrescriber.com ().
For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealthInsurance consumer blog: .
Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information.
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Nate Purpura
eHealth, Inc.
650-210-3115 – office
Sande Drew
Senior Media Consultant
650- 210-3107 – office
916- 207-7674 – mobile
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