Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Announces Preferred Pharmacy Partnerships and...

CHICAGO -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has formed preferred pharmacy relationships with several pharmacy chains in the state in an effort to better serve Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Medicare Part D initial enrollment deadline

These agreements will allow BCBSIL members to receive a 90-day supply of prescriptions for the price of two monthly retail co-payments. To receive the preferred pricing, BCBSIL members simply need to fill their prescription at one of the participating preferred pharmacies, including Albertsons, Safeway, Kroger, Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Schnucks, Meijer, and their affiliates. The list of affiliates includes well-recognized names such as Osco, Dominicks and Sam's Club.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield is excited to offer our members the opportunity to save on their prescription drug expenses by working with our pharmacy partners," said Peter Rodes, Vice President, Consumer Markets, BCBSIL. "In addition, our members will benefit from the widespread pharmacy access and valuable information provided by the partnerships. These agreements are part of our overall commitment to serve the needs of our members by providing them with affordable health plans, educational outreach and excellent customer service."

Additionally, BCBSIL has formed co-marketing relationships with select pharmacies in an effort to jointly inform and educate Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers about the new Blue MedicareRx(SM) prescription drug plans. The three new Blue MedicareRx plans were announced by BCBSIL and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The plans are designed to simplify the new coverage for beneficiaries, making it easy to understand, easy to enroll, easy to use and easy to save. Under the terms of the agreements, informational brochures will be made available to retail customers at Dominicks and Wal-Mart (including Sam's Club).

"We believe our relationship with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is valuable for Medicare beneficiaries during this enrollment period," said Dave Fong, Safeway Senior Vice President of Pharmacy. "We want all of our customers to have the information that they need to make the best decision about enrollment and choose the best plan for their needs."

For more information about Medicare prescription drug coverage visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227, TTY/TDD users: 877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To get more information about Blue MedicareRx, call 888-285-2249 (TTY users: 888-285-2252), Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., CST, or visit www.bcbsil.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is making Medicare Part D products available through HCSC Insurance Services Company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company. These companies are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and offer or provide services for Medicare Part D products under HCSC Insurance Services Company's contract S5715 with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company (HCSC), is the oldest and largest health insurance company in the state. Currently, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois provide health insurance coverage for more than 6.5 million people.

(SM) Service Mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.