Non-Profit PBM MedMetrics Wins Contract to Manage Vermont Medicaid Drug Benefits; State...

WORCESTER, Mass. -- MedMetrics Health Partners Inc., a non-profit, full-service pharmacy benefits management company, today announced it has been selected by Vermont officials to administer drug benefits to the state's 147,000 Medicaid enrollees. MedMetrics is scheduled to take over benefits

Under the three-year, $8 million contract, MedMetrics will help the state better control the rapidly rising cost of the prescription drug benefits that it provides to Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as to seniors who will become eligible for Medicare Part D drug coverage in January. State officials say MedMetrics Health Partners was selected because the company offers a unique regional presence with clinical, pharmacy, Medicaid and Medicare experience.

"MedMetrics is truly the next generation," said Ann Rugg, deputy director of the Office of Vermont Health Access. "The decision to partner with MedMetrics allows us to align ourselves with a regional partner who is knowledgeable and connected with various public health programs. We look forward to the value-added programs that can be achieved by a multi-level, integrated relationship."

MedMetrics, founded in 2004 and affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, brings an innovative, mission-driven approach to the traditional PBM model. The company works in partnership with public health agencies to manage spending with full financial transparency. As a non-profit PBM, MedMetrics' business model aligns its financial incentives with its clients' needs, such as passing through negotiated drug discounts and customizing clinical programs for maximum cost savings.

"In addition to our not-for-profit status and unique model of true financial transparency, MedMetrics remains one of the only PBMs in the country associated with a medical school system," said David Calabrese, RPh, MHP, Vice President of Clinical Pharmacy Services for MedMetrics. "We believe our affiliation with UMass Medical School provides us with an exceptional level of access to outstanding clinical resources, enabling us to deliver to our clients the type of objective, academically-based clinical programming that the market has been long calling for."

Among the company's core services are full-service claims processing, aggressive pharmacy and manufacturer discounts, custom clinical programs, and client-driven data and reporting management. The company brings a particular expertise in serving public sector clients, which has attracted such clients as Alabama's Medicaid program, for which the company provides clinical consultation support, and Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts, for which the company provides full PBM services. A custom integration of the Medicare-approved drug discount card program created by MedMetrics for Massachusetts' senior pharmacy program helped the state to save taxpayers nearly $19 million over the past two years.

About MedMetrics

MedMetrics is a non-profit, full-service pharmacy benefits management company founded by Public Sector Partners, Inc. and affiliated with UMass Medical School. Its comprehensive services provide pharmacy benefit management to public and private sector third-party payers and self-insured employers. MedMetrics currently provides clinical and administrative services for more than 800,000 people in three states.