In The News: Alison Lum details Blue Shield’s efforts to reduce prescription drug costs | California Blue Shield

Blue Shield of California, as part of its Health Reimagined initiative, is reshaping how health care is administered and delivered — and that includes reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

Alison Lum, Vice President of Pharmacy Services at Blue Shield, spoke with healthcare leaders about Health Reimagined and how moderating drug costs is part of this effort.

How to lower the price of insulin? Do it yourself.

In March 2022, Blue Shield joined Civic Rxthe effort to manufacture and distribute generic insulin to a good

Alison Lum

$30 below market price. According to a Press release“Blue Shield is a founding investor in CivicaScript…the business unit of Civica dedicated to reducing the cost of certain expensive generic drugs over the counter.”

In the statement, Blue Shield President and CEO Paul Markovich adds that the collaboration “is an investment in the public health of our state” – supporting the plan’s commitment to systemic transformation through initiatives such as Health Reimagined.

Lum tells HealthLeaders that Civica Rx is an example of a “generic manufacturer looking to disrupt the market, trying to figure out how to make sure there’s a price, that it’s transparent, and that [plans and patients] know exactly what we are paying for it.”

Read the full article in Health Leaders here.