Missouri Health Insurance Pool

The MHIP Annual Meeting will be scheduled on Friday April 4^th 2008 and will be held at 10 am in the Embassy Suites Hotel at 220 W 43^rd Street, Kansas City, Missouri. The public is invited to attend.

Effective January 1, 2008 new legislation implemented important provisions to help reduce the number of Missourians without health insurance through portability and fairer tax treatment among all consumers of health care. The legislation formally designated MHIP as a HIPAA-qualified pool, and the State Alternative Mechanism for the state residents whom qualify as a federally defined Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) eligible individual. The bill also designates the MHIP as a qualified coverage option under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act (TAA). This designation provides a tax deduction for all Missourian for health insurance premiums included in their federally adjusted gross income.

(Click Here) For Additional HIPAA and TAA Information

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MHIP News

March 2007
MEDTRAK MAKES GENERICS THE “BEST BUY” FOR PLAN MEMBERS AND PLAN SPONSORS

You won’t find a generic drug in any of MedTrak’s generic promotion programs that isn’t cost-effective for both the Plan Member and the Plan Sponsor.

Why would this make a difference? Aren’t generic drugs always the “best buy”?

They may be the best buy for the consumer, but whether or not they are best for the plan sponsor depends on where the drug is in its product life cycle.

Allow us to explain:

When the patent expires on a brand drug, the first drug company to receive FDA approval for that generic drug usually receives six months of exclusivity. During that time, no other company can make that generic drug. As a result, its price is usually only 5 to 10% less than the brand. It is only after the exclusivity window closes and competition increases that the price of the generic drops dramatically.

EXAMPLE:
Sertraline (the generic of Zoloft®), a popular antidepressant.

July 2006: Zoloft® goes off patent
Price of brand: $2.67 per 50-mg tablet*

August 2006: Exclusive generic enters market
Price of exclusive generic: $2.42* (about 10% less than brand)

February 2007: sertraline’s generic drug manufacturer loses exclusivity.
Price of multi-source generic: $0.37* (a whopping 87% decrease)

*Based on MedTrak’s average approved price

So, from the date it appeared on the market, the generic has been less expensive than the brand. But it has not always been less expensive for the plan sponsor. Here’s the math:

Setraline Pricing** 2006		Setraline Pricing** 2007
Brand		Generic
Approved Price	$80.00	Approved Price	$80.00
Less Copay	$35.00	Less Copay	$35.00
Plan Sponsor Pay	$45.00	Plan Sponsor Pay	$45.00

Brand		Generic
Approved Price	$72.50	Approved Price	$11.00
Less Copay	$10.00	Less Copay	$10.00
Plan Sponsor Pay	$62.50	Plan Sponsor Pay	$1.00

**Based on one-month supply (30 tablets) and copays of $35 brand and $10 generic

It was not until the drug went multi-source generic in 2007 that the Plan Sponsor began to save significantly when its Plan Members used generic Sertraline.

MedTrak has a variety of programs available to Plan Sponsors to promote generic drugs, including our Generic Coupon program and our Generic Copay Waiver program. What’s important to know is that MedTrak does not include a generic drug in any generic promotion program we sponsor unless and until it is cost-effective for both the Plan Member and the Plan Sponsor. We challenge any of our competitors to say that and mean it!

5/5/2006
FDA Approves First Generic Pravastatin
On April 25, 2006, The Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pravachol® (Pravastatin Sodium Tablets). Pravachol® is one of several blockbuster drugs which will be released in generic form in 2006; for example, generic Zocor® will be released this summer.

Pravastatin is indicated for the treatment of individuals with high cholesterol levels or who are at increased risk for cardiac events, such as heart attack and stroke.

Pravastatin Sodium Tablets (10mg, 20mg and 40mg) are manufactured by TEVA Pharmaceuticals; the company said it will launch the drug immediately. TEVA will have 180-days of generic exclusivity for these strengths. Ranbaxy holds 180-days of generic exclusivity for the 80mg strength, but approval of their generic has not been announced. Bristol-Myers Squibb is also expected to launch an “authorized generic” through Watson Pharmaceuticals.

MedTrak Services will continue to keep you informed about the release of new generic drugs that can reduce your plan’s costs.

3/6/2006
FDA Approves Generic Equivalent for Flonase
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray, the generic equivalent of the brand name drug, Flonase, on February 22, 2006. The approved generic product was developed by Roxane Laboratories; but, in addition, Par Pharmaceuticals is planning to launch an authorized generic.

Fluticonase Propionate Nasal Spray treats the nasal symptoms of seasonal and chronic allergic and non-allergic rhinitis. The generic product is approved for use in both adults and children four years and older.

On February 23, 2006, a U.S. District Court granted GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the manufacturer of brand Flonase, a temporary restraining order blocking the sale of generic versions of Flonase. This order expires on March 6, 2006; the generic product should be available after that date.

Initially, the price of Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray will only be about 10% less than Flonase, but it will continue to decrease throughout the year as other generic manufacturers enter the market. MedTrak is planning to send letters to members who use Flonase, advising them of the availability of the generic. In addition, members of those plans that subscribe to ScriptChoice® will receive ScriptChoice® letters.

1/1/2006
CDC Advises Clinicians Not To Prescribe Amantadine and Rimantadine To Treat Influenza This Season.
Learn more here.

6/1/2005
New Safety Warnings for Fentanyl Skin Patches:
The FDA issued a public health advisory to notify patients and healthcare professionals of reports of death and serious side effects from overdoses of Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system - Janssen) and generic fentanyl.
Learn more here.

High Health Insurance Costs Crimp Small-Business Entrepreneurship
A BusinessWeek Online article examines the "discouraging" reasons that 51 percent of "microbusinesses" -- companies with 10 or fewer employees -- offer no health insurance.
Source(s): Klein, BusinessWeek Online, 5/22/06

Young Adults Make Up a Disproportionate Number of the Uninsured
The fastest growing group of the uninsured in the United States is young adults aged 19 to 29, reports the Associated Press.
Source(s): Agovino, Associated Press, 5/23/06

Vermont Laws Expand Coverage of the Uninsured
With the signing of two health reform bills, Vermont passed compromise legislation that will create a state-funded program to cover about half of the state's 60,000 uninsured residents, reports the Burlington Free Press.
Source(s): Ressman, Burlington Free Press, 5/26/06

Wall Street Journal Examines State Health Care Reform Efforts
Many states are following Massachusetts' recently passed health mandate and taking steps to reduce the number of uninsured.
Source(s): Zhang, Wall Street Journal, 5/27/06 [subscription required]

Medical Bills Going Up by Billions

Missouri Hospitals Going Smoke-Free in September

Learn to Understand Your Doctor

Cancer Therapies

Cancer Vaccine-First in the World

Health Wise - Spring 2006

2006 Missouri Update

2005 Audit Report

NOTICE FROM LOUISIANA HEALTH PLAN FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

MHIP Opens Kansas City Office

Rx Times Newsletter April 2004

(IPC) Independent Pharmaceutical Consultants, Inc.