How can Armada Health Care Assist Health Plans and other payors manage specialty pharmacy?

If you are in the business of providing health benefits to either insured or self-insured employee populations you are probably well aware of the issues related to managing specialty pharmacy.  Chronic illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis, Hepatitis C, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc. have always been expensive diseases to manage, all the more so because of the costly biotherapies prescribed for these conditions.

With more than 600 new therapies in the FDA approval pipeline, payors recognize that the cost of managing chronic diseases will continue to skyrocket.  While the introduction of generics is finally offering some relief, the cost of new generation therapies will be at price points significantly greater then the old line therapies.

How can Armada Help Contain Costs?

Armada Health Care is a group purchasing organization with a difference.  We are the only GPO to focus exclusively on the specialty pharmacy market. That commitment is important to our member pharmacies – and to you.  As Armada successfully negotiates better acquisition prices driven by a specialty pharmacy class-of-trade, our member pharmacies can acquire products at lower prices and can pass some of these savings on to you.

Member specialty pharmacies are typically regional providers with years of experience in specialty pharmacy. The clinical pharmacists at these pharmacies are experts at managing complex biotherapies and delivering improved clinical and financial outcomes.  Inappropriateness and waste present huge opportunities to reign in costs.  By stressing compliance, patients will realize optimal therapeutic benefits thereby lowering total cost of care and often the avoidance of emergent events that can be extraordinarily expensive.

Why would my health plan want to Use an Armada specialty pharmacy?

Over the past decade, specialty pharmacy has evolved into a big business.  As with many industries, the focus on customer often gets lost in the big production environment.  Suddenly, even large accounts become small fish in a big pond.

Armada Health Care recognizes that there are many specialty pharmacies in the country that are still local in nature.  While many of these pharmacies have grown to be regional players, they have kept their eyes on the prize – the customer.  Service levels and a commitment to supporting the patient is a key attribute of Armada Specialty Pharmacies.

The ASPN Solution

Armada also recognizes that payors are overburdened administratively and that contracting with multiple sites for specialty pharmacy may not be efficient.  That’s where the Armada Specialty Pharmacy Network (ASPN) may be the answer to your problems. 

ASPN is a boutique network of Armada credentialed specialty pharmacies that provide expert dispensing services for virtually every chronic disease and biotherapy.  ASPN pharmacies provide all the range of patient-centric services that payors have come to expect from their specialty pharmacy partner.  Even better, all ASPN pharmacies can be easily linked into your health benefit / pharmacy program through one umbrella agreement.

Easy to use – key features

• An ASPN program includes one point of contact for payor and physician. 
• Patients are serviced from the specialty pharmacy closest to their location or using your criteria.
• Consistent pricing across all pharmacy network members.
• No need to reinvent the wheel – all pharmacies adjudicate using standard PBM protocols and can submit CMS-1500 forms per account specifications
• ASPN specialty pharmacies expert in select disease states - these may be included in a more focused (exclusive) program offering

Please refer to the tab marked ASPN Network for more information.