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BUSINESS
Humana, Wal-Mart sign Medicare drug plan deal
=============================================

The deal highlights private plans' desire to tap into what is expected
to be a lucrative business.
By Bob Cook, amednews staff. Aug. 1, 2005.

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In another sign of how aggressively health plans are moving to capture
the upcoming Medicare drug plan market, Humana says it is joining with
retail giant Wal-Mart to offer the new Part D prescription drug plan
to seniors.
Humana and Wal-Mart say they plan to offer a co-branded prescription
card to Medicare recipients. The card can be used at the pharmacies
within stores operated by the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer, which
has 3,600 outlets, including Wal-Mart stores and Supercenters, the
Sam's Club bulk-sales club outlet, and the Neighborhood Market grocery
chain. They also can be used at other pharmacies as well, the
companies said.

Enrollment for the new Medicare prescription plan, which is
administered by private payers, begins Nov. 15, while the plan itself
begins Jan. 1, 2006. The drug plan was passed by Congress as part of
the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.
Analysts considered access to a large senior population a catalyst for
Minneapolis, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group's recently announced $8.1
billion acquisition of Cypress, Calif.-based PacifiCare Health
Systems, a plan whose Secure Horizons division is the largest private
administrator of Medicare plans. The transaction needs approval from
federal and state regulators.

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Copyright 2005 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
RELATED CONTENT
» Rising health care costs are not going away Aug. 1
» United-PacifiCare merger troubles physicians July 25
» Leavitt faces a significant task ahead as HHS chief Feb. 7
» Medicare drug choices called too restrictive Jan. 24
» Businesses plan to maintain retiree drug coverage Jan. 3/10
» CMS unveils plan for Medicare drug benefit but skimps on details
Aug. 16, 2004

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