In Colorado, Commercial Medical and Pharmacy Benefit Enrollment Down at S...( NASHVILLE Tenn. July 16 ...),Health

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthLeaders-InterStudy, the leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that medical and pharmacy benefit enrollment in Colorado declined between July 2008 and January 2009. According to data available in the newest release of Managed Market Surveyor-Rx, medical benefit enrollment declined 1.5 percent throughout the state (approximately 25,000 lives), while pharmacy benefit enrollment declined 4.1 percent (more than 81,000 lives).

"As we've seen in many other markets, commercial pharmacy benefit enrollment in Colorado is experiencing larger shifts than medical benefit enrollment," said Rebecca Waller, senior health plan analyst with HealthLeaders-InterStudy. "This shift may be caused by employers who have continued to supply medical insurance coverage while cutting their pharmacy benefit. Or, they have raised the cost to employees, thereby turning them away from accepting pharmacy benefits."

In the Denver market - the state's largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) - commercial pharmacy enrollment fell 9.6 percent (approximately 117,000 lives) between July 2008 and January 2009 with all major plans in the area losing commercial pharmacy membership. However, while pharmacy benefit enrollment declined in the Denver MSA, commercial medical enrollment increased 8.6 percent (approximately 131,834 lives).

Why Pharmaceutical Companies Need Managed Market Surveyor-Rx

Managed Market Surveyor-Rx delivers medical and pharmacy benefit enrollment data by managed care organization and geography (national, state, MSA) to better inform strategic planning and resource allocation. Relying on primary research and HealthLeaders-InterStudy's proprietary validation methodology, Managed Market Surve
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