Express Scripts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESRX) is a Fortune 100 company[2] headquartered in Cool Valley, Missouri. It began in 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri as a result of a joint venture between a retail chain of more than 79 pharmacies (Medicare Glaser Inc.) and Sanus Corp. Health Systems. Express Scripts was purchased by New York Life Insurance Company in 1989 and became a publicly traded company in 1992. Through expansion of its client base, product lines and several acquisitions (ValueRx, Diversified Pharmaceutical Services, and National Prescription Administrators (NPA)) Express Scripts currently employs over 14,000.[3]
Express Scripts is a pharmacy benefit manager. The company processes pharmaceutical claims for members at network pharmacies and at their own mail order pharmacies. They provide services to manage drug plans for government agencies (both as administrator of employee benefits and public assistance programs), corporations, and unions. One of their largest clients is the United States Department of Defense's TRICARE program.
ValueRx was formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1987 through the merger of Medicost, a small prescription drug claims processor and Health Information Design, a specialty drug utilization review company. The company was purchased by Value Health in 1988. After a series of mergers and acquisitions, ValueRx became the largest Value Health subsidiary, employing 1,400 people across the United States. Express Scripts purchased ValueRx on April 1, 1998.[4]
On February 25, 2002, Express Scripts completed the acquisition of the assets of Phoenix Marketing Group (Holdings), Inc. Phoenix Marketing Group is the largest full-service prescription drug sample fulfillment provider in the United States.
In the first quarter of 2004 Express Scripts acquired CuraScript, Inc, a specialty pharmacy located primarily in Orlando, FL.
On October 14, 2005 Express Scripts Completed the Acquisition of Priority Healthcare and now has integrated the line of business with its wholly-owned specialty pharmacy subsidiary CuraScript.
In late December 2006, Express Scripts made a proposal to purchase Caremark. Express Scripts lost the race to acquire Caremark to CVS Corporation, which became CVS/Caremark Corporation on March 22, 2007.
In October 2007, Express Scripts acquired ConnectYourCare, and now handles FSA, HRA and HSA accounts for companies such as Suntrust, Zions Bancorp and Allegis.
On April 13, 2009 it was announced that Indianapolis based WellPoint had reached a definitive agreement under which Saint Louis based Express Scripts will acquire WellPoint's NextRx subsidiaries for $4.675 billion4[5] Express Scripts, the United States third largest PBM, closed the transaction in December 2009.[3]
As of 2009, Express Scripts employed over 14,000 people.[3] The corporate headquarters is located in Cool Valley, Missouri with major North America sites in Albuquerque, NM; East Hanover, NJ; Bensalem, PA; Bloomington, MN; Orlando, FL; New Castle, DE; Farmington Hills, MI; Harrisburg, PA; Pueblo, CO; St. Marys, GA; Tempe, AZ; Troy, NY; Mason, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Oldsmar, FL; West Hills, CA; Washington, DC Mississauga, Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec.
Prescription drugs play a significant role in healthcare today and constitute the first line of treatment for many medical conditions. As pharmaceutical research increases the potential for even more effective drugs, demand can be expected to increase. For millions of people, prescription drugs equate to the hope of improved health and quality of life. At the same time, prescription drug costs are becoming one of the most persistent challenges to health care financing. Even as pharmaceutical development opens new paths to better healthcare, we confront the possibility that high costs may limit access to these therapies.
Employer total medical costs continue to outpace the rate of overall inflation. National health expenditures as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product are expected to increase from an estimated 17.3% in 2009 to 19.3% in 2019 according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) estimates. In response to cost pressures being exerted on health benefit providers such as managed care organizations, health insurers, employers and unions, we work to develop innovative strategies designed to keep medications affordable.
Pharmacy benefit management (“PBM”) companies combine retail pharmacy claims processing, formulary management and home delivery pharmacy services to create an integrated product offering to manage the prescription drug benefit for payors. Some PBMs also offer specialty services to provide treatments for diseases that rely upon high-cost injectable, infused, oral or inhaled drugs which deliver a more effective solution than many retail pharmacies. PBMs have also broadened their service offerings to include compliance programs, outcomes research, drug therapy management programs, sophisticated data analysis and other distribution services.
PeopleAnswers' pre-employment assessment testing gives you access to a wealth of information on your candidate pool. PeopleAnswers goes deeper than any résumé to expose the Behavioral DNA® under the surface. Evaluations of 38 primary behavioral traits recorded within the robust reporting features let you truly “know” your candidate before the first interview, which results in better employee selection and helps reduce employee turnover.
Candidate reports from the pre-employment testing software are generated instantly once a job candidate completes the online behavioral questionnaire. (We can also automatically notify clients by e-mail as soon as an assessment is submitted.) Our system compares the candidate's Behavioral DNA against the position’s Performance Profile to develop a comprehensive employment assessment report focused on improving employee performance. That report is available for your review online using any common Web browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Netscape… even on your Web-enabled cell phone.
Pricing schemes and other practices that raise costs and put health care and privacy at risk: Express Scripts has been accused of alleged deceptive business practices leading to illicit enrichment that put clients’ health and privacy at risk as well. These practices include: inflating the cost of generic drugs; neglecting to pass on millions in manufacturer rebates and discounts; switching drugs from those prescribed by the doctor; and selling plan data in violation of state contracts.9
Government, private and union clients have filed lawsuits against ESI and the company has already paid out tens of millions in settlements with other cases pending. In 2008, for example, ESI settled a case with 28 states’ attorney generals. While not admitting guilt, ESI agreed to pay $9.3 million to the States and up to $200,000 in reimbursement to patients who incurred expenses related to certain drug switches.10 Other plans have obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in repayments for overcharges revealed by audits that ESI attributed to error.11
Although ESI is expanding its market share, some long-term clients are looking elsewhere to meet their pharmaceutical needs. For example in 2009, the Michigan Department of Management and Budget dropped its ESI PBM contract for state and retired school employees which it had held for fifteen years.12 In June 2010, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts switched from ESI to CVS Caremark.13 And recently, the Delaware Valley Health Care Coalition, one of ESI’s largest clients, expressed concern over the company’s plans to close its Pennsylvania facilities and its impact on service delivery
Our career path planning software provides a glance into the future of your job applicants. Our Career Path feature allows you to not only consider the candidate for the position you currently have open, but also glance into the future and see how this candidate may respond to career development planning and progress within your organization. How “promotable” is this individual? Will he/she one day be a good candidate to move up to the next level?
Career path options are provided on the dashboard. The Career Path section includes, for example, alternate positions like Sales Manager and Customer Services Rep, each title a link to a new window that presents a completely new assessment report based on the Performance Profile for the position. In other words, your candidates take the employee assessment once, but can be measured against many job opportunities and career paths—automatically! It’s the most insightful tool companies can use to establish a career path plan for every assessed employee.
Career Path options, along with the rest of the assessment tools, can be yours just a few short weeks from today. Click here to contact PeopleAnswers and schedule a brief demonstration of our career path planning software.
Express Scripts is a pharmacy benefit manager. The company processes pharmaceutical claims for members at network pharmacies and at their own mail order pharmacies. They provide services to manage drug plans for government agencies (both as administrator of employee benefits and public assistance programs), corporations, and unions. One of their largest clients is the United States Department of Defense's TRICARE program.
ValueRx was formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1987 through the merger of Medicost, a small prescription drug claims processor and Health Information Design, a specialty drug utilization review company. The company was purchased by Value Health in 1988. After a series of mergers and acquisitions, ValueRx became the largest Value Health subsidiary, employing 1,400 people across the United States. Express Scripts purchased ValueRx on April 1, 1998.[4]
On February 25, 2002, Express Scripts completed the acquisition of the assets of Phoenix Marketing Group (Holdings), Inc. Phoenix Marketing Group is the largest full-service prescription drug sample fulfillment provider in the United States.
In the first quarter of 2004 Express Scripts acquired CuraScript, Inc, a specialty pharmacy located primarily in Orlando, FL.
On October 14, 2005 Express Scripts Completed the Acquisition of Priority Healthcare and now has integrated the line of business with its wholly-owned specialty pharmacy subsidiary CuraScript.
In late December 2006, Express Scripts made a proposal to purchase Caremark. Express Scripts lost the race to acquire Caremark to CVS Corporation, which became CVS/Caremark Corporation on March 22, 2007.
In October 2007, Express Scripts acquired ConnectYourCare, and now handles FSA, HRA and HSA accounts for companies such as Suntrust, Zions Bancorp and Allegis.
On April 13, 2009 it was announced that Indianapolis based WellPoint had reached a definitive agreement under which Saint Louis based Express Scripts will acquire WellPoint's NextRx subsidiaries for $4.675 billion4[5] Express Scripts, the United States third largest PBM, closed the transaction in December 2009.[3]
As of 2009, Express Scripts employed over 14,000 people.[3] The corporate headquarters is located in Cool Valley, Missouri with major North America sites in Albuquerque, NM; East Hanover, NJ; Bensalem, PA; Bloomington, MN; Orlando, FL; New Castle, DE; Farmington Hills, MI; Harrisburg, PA; Pueblo, CO; St. Marys, GA; Tempe, AZ; Troy, NY; Mason, OH; Indianapolis, IN; Oldsmar, FL; West Hills, CA; Washington, DC Mississauga, Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec.
Prescription drugs play a significant role in healthcare today and constitute the first line of treatment for many medical conditions. As pharmaceutical research increases the potential for even more effective drugs, demand can be expected to increase. For millions of people, prescription drugs equate to the hope of improved health and quality of life. At the same time, prescription drug costs are becoming one of the most persistent challenges to health care financing. Even as pharmaceutical development opens new paths to better healthcare, we confront the possibility that high costs may limit access to these therapies.
Employer total medical costs continue to outpace the rate of overall inflation. National health expenditures as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product are expected to increase from an estimated 17.3% in 2009 to 19.3% in 2019 according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) estimates. In response to cost pressures being exerted on health benefit providers such as managed care organizations, health insurers, employers and unions, we work to develop innovative strategies designed to keep medications affordable.
Pharmacy benefit management (“PBM”) companies combine retail pharmacy claims processing, formulary management and home delivery pharmacy services to create an integrated product offering to manage the prescription drug benefit for payors. Some PBMs also offer specialty services to provide treatments for diseases that rely upon high-cost injectable, infused, oral or inhaled drugs which deliver a more effective solution than many retail pharmacies. PBMs have also broadened their service offerings to include compliance programs, outcomes research, drug therapy management programs, sophisticated data analysis and other distribution services.
PeopleAnswers' pre-employment assessment testing gives you access to a wealth of information on your candidate pool. PeopleAnswers goes deeper than any résumé to expose the Behavioral DNA® under the surface. Evaluations of 38 primary behavioral traits recorded within the robust reporting features let you truly “know” your candidate before the first interview, which results in better employee selection and helps reduce employee turnover.
Candidate reports from the pre-employment testing software are generated instantly once a job candidate completes the online behavioral questionnaire. (We can also automatically notify clients by e-mail as soon as an assessment is submitted.) Our system compares the candidate's Behavioral DNA against the position’s Performance Profile to develop a comprehensive employment assessment report focused on improving employee performance. That report is available for your review online using any common Web browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Netscape… even on your Web-enabled cell phone.
Pricing schemes and other practices that raise costs and put health care and privacy at risk: Express Scripts has been accused of alleged deceptive business practices leading to illicit enrichment that put clients’ health and privacy at risk as well. These practices include: inflating the cost of generic drugs; neglecting to pass on millions in manufacturer rebates and discounts; switching drugs from those prescribed by the doctor; and selling plan data in violation of state contracts.9
Government, private and union clients have filed lawsuits against ESI and the company has already paid out tens of millions in settlements with other cases pending. In 2008, for example, ESI settled a case with 28 states’ attorney generals. While not admitting guilt, ESI agreed to pay $9.3 million to the States and up to $200,000 in reimbursement to patients who incurred expenses related to certain drug switches.10 Other plans have obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in repayments for overcharges revealed by audits that ESI attributed to error.11
Although ESI is expanding its market share, some long-term clients are looking elsewhere to meet their pharmaceutical needs. For example in 2009, the Michigan Department of Management and Budget dropped its ESI PBM contract for state and retired school employees which it had held for fifteen years.12 In June 2010, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts switched from ESI to CVS Caremark.13 And recently, the Delaware Valley Health Care Coalition, one of ESI’s largest clients, expressed concern over the company’s plans to close its Pennsylvania facilities and its impact on service delivery
Our career path planning software provides a glance into the future of your job applicants. Our Career Path feature allows you to not only consider the candidate for the position you currently have open, but also glance into the future and see how this candidate may respond to career development planning and progress within your organization. How “promotable” is this individual? Will he/she one day be a good candidate to move up to the next level?
Career path options are provided on the dashboard. The Career Path section includes, for example, alternate positions like Sales Manager and Customer Services Rep, each title a link to a new window that presents a completely new assessment report based on the Performance Profile for the position. In other words, your candidates take the employee assessment once, but can be measured against many job opportunities and career paths—automatically! It’s the most insightful tool companies can use to establish a career path plan for every assessed employee.
Career Path options, along with the rest of the assessment tools, can be yours just a few short weeks from today. Click here to contact PeopleAnswers and schedule a brief demonstration of our career path planning software.
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