Feb 03, 2025
When Blue Shield announced their new vision for pharmacy care in August 2023, the plan garnered news and interest across the industry, and some naysaying from skeptics. However, they are proud to announce that Blue Shield launched their new pharmacy supply chain model on January 1, 2025. This new approach to pharmacy care aims to unbundle the traditional pharmacy benefit manager service model to make way for increased transparency, new ways to obtain cost savings, and to generate better health outcomes for members.
There were tireless efforts to ensure Blue Shield would be up and running with all collaborators to start the year. Now, with new ID cards in members’ hands, claims are processing, and members are accessing their necessary prescription drugs. By replacing legacy pharmacy claims processing systems, Blue Shield has moved from an average of one-to-two days to near real-time pharmacy claims processing (one-to-two minutes).
As with any large-scale transition, there were bumps along the way that needed smoothing out. Some members had difficulty accessing the Amazon Pharmacy platform, for example, and Blue Shield worked quickly with their team to make updates in response. As of January 21st, over 19,000 prescriptions have been shipped by Amazon Pharmacy.
Please know Blue Shield continues to monitor, listen, and adjust based on member, group customer, physician, and other stakeholder feedback to scale this model, driving value, and lower costs for the healthcare system moving forward.
To help you support your clients, here are a few key resources:
- Blue Shield Pharmacy Network page will continue to be updated with relevant information
- Amazon Pharmacy page for Blue Shield members provides step-by-step guidance
- Price check my Rx allows members to see options that provide the best value for their prescriptions
For more Blue Shield pharmacy news, read:
Optimizing Blue Shield's Retail Pharmacy
Network New Member ID Cards
Blue Shield's Biosimilar Strategy for Humira
Prescription Coverage for Weight Loss Drugs
