An Innovative Approach to
RX Claims Processing
When it comes to processing pharmacy claims, most payers turn to pharmacy benefits management (PBM) firms for claims approval and payment. Consequently, most managed care claims systems don’t have a real-time pharmacy interface built into their system. With the average cost per claim hovering in the 45 to 60 cents range for employer groups, and between 20 to 45 cents for MCO’s, it’s little wonder that plans see this as a real opportunity to save money.
For years, a Southern California health plan was able to interface directly with NDC for pharmacy claims processing. When the decision was made to implement a new managed care processing system, the plan turned to Oleen Pinnacle to develop a real-time pharmacy claims processing system to avoid the added costs associated with using a PBM. Oleen Pinnacle provided project management, analytical and technical resources to design, develop, test, and implement the system according to the plan’s specifications.
Within four months, the Oleen Pinnacle team created a two-tier, client/server real-time pharmacy claims system capable of adjudicating a claim every two seconds. It supports NCPDP standards and real-time EDI with over 2500 pharmacies. The system processes claims for multilevel copay benefit plans (brand, formulary, and generic) and can handle varying copays from retail and mail order prescriptions. The system also allows for specific drugs to be defined with a coinsurance charge instead of a copay.
Since the implementation, the plan’s improved access to information has helped them provide better customer service, and they have realized a 30 to 40% savings in pharmacy claims processing compared to PBM charges. |