Lifestyle
CVS Caremark® defines future of pharmacy benefit management
CVS Caremark pledges to accelerate transparency, drive to lowest net cost prescription drugs, strengthen pharmacy relations, and deliver the best clinical care in pharmacy
WOONSOCKET, R.I. /PRNewswire/ — CVS Caremark®, the nation’s leading pharmacy benefit manager and a CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) company, today announced a renewed pledge to American businesses, unions, and health plans — building on what the company is doing to deliver greater transparency, lower drug costs, and better clinical care for the most utilized health benefit.
Pharmacy Benefit Management
“The way we have done our work over the past few decades has driven greater cost savings, better care, and more robust benefits for the Americans we serve,” said David Joyner, president of CVS Caremark. “Our work is rooted in greater simplicity and transparency for those who pay for pharmacy benefits, for people who take medicine, and for the pharmacies that serve our patients.”
The Caremark Client and Member Pledge includes our commitments to:
- Deliver greater affordability. We are dedicated to driving affordability for prescription drugs. By continuing to promote generics, expand availability of biosimilars, and secure significant discounts on brand-name medications, we ensure Caremark members pay an average out-of-pocket cost of less than $8 for a 30-day supply of medicine. This proactive approach is at the heart of what we do.
- Promote lowest net cost drugs. We provide choice to our clients who design the benefits that are best for their members, and as part of that work, we continue to promote and advocate for low-list price, low net cost drugs.
- Strengthen the alignment between client benefit design, physician choice, and patient need. We will continue to drive transparent prescriber connectivity — with real-time updates on benefit and formulary changes to reduce delays. We continue to closely align to and advocate for client needs, patient needs, and doctors’ orders.
- Innovate to drive greater transparency. Our new TrueCost™ solution aligns client and pharmacy reimbursement specific costs, provides greater transparency, and includes additional dispensing fees for the services pharmacists provide. We will continue to offer differential reimbursement to independent and rural community pharmacies to maintain member access.
- Encourage pharmacy models that deliver rebate value directly to patients. Today, 99% of rebates we negotiate are passed through to clients, which they use to pay down the cost of benefits. With our TrueCost model, we return savings to patients directly at the pharmacy counter, which we do for employees at CVS Health today.
- Improve relations with pharmacies. We will make it easier to do business with us by building upon what we have done: proactively addressing pharmacy access through partnering with rural pharmacies, updating technology for seamless transactions, making reimbursement transparent, and delivering a consistent experience at the counter.
- Change the trajectory of drug costs. Building on our history of standing with clients and consumers against pharmaceutical company price hikes, we will be the counterweight to stop price gouging. Through our formulary strategies to drive down costs, we continue to put medicine within reach — like breaking down the patent wall associated with high-priced Humira and providing insulin under $25 and broadly available to all Americans. We will do more.
“We all want affordable access to prescription drugs, and Caremark will continue to drive down costs, improve care, and accelerate transparency,” Joyner said. “For our thousands of clients and millions of Americans, Caremark is the difference between affording medicine and going without. We take our commitments to heart and will deliver on our promise to everyone we serve.”
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health solutions company, broadening access to care for millions of people nationwide. We improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and with over 300,000 dedicated colleagues – including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and nurse practitioners. We support individuals with their health – whether that’s managing health conditions, staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable health services in the most convenient ways. Our goal is to create seamless connections across the health care system, simplifying the experience and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social media.
SOURCE CVS Health
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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(Family Features) Taking good care of your skin all year long is essential, but even more so in the summer when the power of the sun is at its strongest. Healthy skin doesn’t require fancy moisturizers or expensive skin care products. You just need to adopt a few healthy habits.
For example, keeping your skin healthy and glowing starts from the inside out by eating and drinking healthy foods and beverages that nourish your body’s largest organ and promote healthy skin cells. Additionally, studies show certain foods, such as fresh, juicy grapes, may help protect healthy skin even when exposed to UV light, which is known to damage skin cells.
A study published in the journal “Antioxidants,” in which people consumed 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day for two weeks, showed increased resistance to sunburn and reduced markers of UV damage at the cellular level. This study reinforced previous and similar findings published in the “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.” Grapes are also a hydrating food with 82% water content; hydration is essential to healthy skin.
Along with snacking on fresh, delicious California grapes, consider these everyday ways you can keep your skin safe from the sun’s rays.
Seek Shade
Most experts recommend avoiding the sun at the height of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are at full strength. That doesn’t mean you can’t be outside – just seek shade as often as possible while enjoying the warm summer air.
Prioritize Hydration
Drinking water and staying hydrated is important year-round, but especially when it’s hot and you’re more likely to lose water content through sweat. Keep your body full of moisture with simple and delicious Grape-Infused Waters. For a zesty kick, try Grape, Ginger and Lime that combines the sweetness of grapes with the zing of ginger and lime, or Grape, Lemon and Mint, offering a bright and invigorating blend of citrus and mint. Enter your Zen state with a mellow, spa-like sip from Grape, Cucumber and Mint.
For a cool, hydrating snack, try freezing grapes. Simply rinse, pat dry, remove from the stems and freeze for 2 hours in a single layer on a sheet pan. You can even enjoy them as flavorful ice cube replacements in these easy-to-prepare, flavorful beverages.
Layer Up
While you’re enjoying the sunshine, layer up with a generous application of 30 SPF or higher sunscreen every 1-2 hours. Wear lightweight, long-sleeve shirts; wide-brimmed hats; sunglasses; and other protective clothing to reduce sun exposure, which can lead to wrinkles, age spots and other health problems, including an increased risk of skin cancer.
Visit GrapesFromCalifornia.com for more delicious recipes and information on grapes and health.
A Trio of Grape-Infused Waters
Servings: 4 Grape, Ginger and Lime:- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled, plus additional for serving (optional)
- 5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger, muddled
- 4 lime slices
- 4 cups water
- ice
- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled, plus additional for serving (optional)
- 3 lemon slices
- 3 large stems fresh mint
- 4 cups water
- ice
- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled (plus additional for serving (optional)
- 6-8 thin slices cucumber, halved
- 3 large stems fresh mint
- 4 cups water
- ice
- To make grape, ginger and lime water: In pitcher, place grapes, ginger and lime slices. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, if desired.
- To make grape, lemon and mint water: In pitcher, place grapes, lemon slices and mint. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, as desired.
- To make grape, cucumber and mint water: In pitcher, place grapes, cucumber and mint. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, as desired.
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(Family Features) Pruning, or the practice of removing dead or diseased branches from flowering plants – including certain herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees and flowers – allows them to focus their energy on new growth and blossoms, which can result in a more robust and abundant flowering season.
While the optimal time to prune is largely dependent on the type of plant and its blooming cycle, in general completing the chore shortly after first bloom can help shape plants, ensuring they grow in a desirable manner, and improve air circulation and light penetration, which help prevent fungal diseases.
Start by gathering the necessary tools, including sharp bypass pruners, loppers, a pruning saw and hedge shears, then consider these simple steps to begin pruning your plants:
- Inspect your plants and remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches.
- Find branches that cross or rub against each other and remove one of the crossing branches to allow the other to grow freely.
- Thin out the plant by removing any overcrowded branches.
- Shape the plant as desired, maintaining its natural form and structure.
Find more lawn and garden advice by visiting eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
eLivingtoday.com
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(Family Features) Senior year of high school is a time for big changes for most people, but for Emani McConnell-Brent, she did not expect it would include changes to her health. After being rushed to the emergency room with severe stomach pain, McConnell-Brent learned the problem was her kidneys and she was diagnosed with a kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
After her diagnosis, McConnell-Brent struggled to get the right medicines to treat her disease. She was encouraged to undergo a genetic test and discovered her FSGS was the result of APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD), a rapidly progressive genetic kidney disease that can cause kidney failure. The diagnosis brought McConnell-Brent some relief, both physically and emotionally.
“Knowing it’s genetic and knowing I’m taking care of myself makes a big difference in my mental state,” said McConnell-Brent, now 21 and an ambassador for the American Kidney Fund.
Everyone has two copies of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene – one from each parent – but Black Americans of West and Central African ancestry are more likely to have changes (variants or mutations) in their APOL1 gene that cause AMKD. This genetic form of kidney disease can develop even at a young age, in otherwise healthy people, and can advance faster than other kidney diseases.
An estimated 13% of Black Americans have the two APOL1 gene variants that are associated with AMKD. Those who have variants in both copies of the APOL1 gene have a 1 in 5 chance of developing kidney disease.
“A lot of people don’t even know about how prevalent the APOL1 gene is in the African American community,” McConnell-Brent said.
Early diagnosis of AMKD can keep your kidneys working longer, delaying the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
If you have kidney damage, symptoms may not occur until your kidneys are close to failing. As kidney damage worsens, one or more of these symptoms may occur:
- Protein in urine
- Swelling in legs or weight gain
- Feeling weak or tired
- High blood pressure
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