Desjardins Insurance, Express Scripts Canada, introduce new integrated active pharmacy benefit management service

• Integrated Service Offer Will Help Desjardins Group Insurance Plan Sponsors, Plan Members Manage Their Healthcare Costs
• Agreement Helps Open Important New Channel to Market, Sell Active Pharmacy Benefit Management to Canadian Plan Sponsors
• Service to Include Home Delivery Of Maintenance Prescription Medications from the Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy™

LEVIS, QC and MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - Desjardins Insurance, part of Canada's leading co-operative financial group, Desjardins Group, and Express Scripts Canada, one of the largest providers of health benefits management services in Canada, today announced that they have jointly developed a new service for the Canadian market that creates a new group benefits offering by integrating Desjardins' group benefit services with Express Scripts Canada's active pharmacy benefit management (PBM) service and home delivery of maintenance prescription medications from Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy™ locations across the country.

Maintenance prescription medications are drugs prescribed for ongoing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Research conducted by Express Scripts Canada has determined that maintenance medications represent 55% of drug benefit costs and 65% of drug benefit claims.

Desjardins and Express Scripts Canada have integrated key benefit plan and drug therapy information in support of this new service. Using proven tools, the Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy will use this information to help plan members and their physicians make more informed health-care and benefit cost decisions. With this service, Canadian plan sponsors have access to proven tools to better manage the cost of the prescription drug benefit while providing plan members with an enhanced prescription drug service.

Bill Packham, Executive Managing Director, Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, Desjardins Group, said that there is a market need for a service that will make the prescription drug benefit more sustainable and affordable.

"This new service could help plan sponsors cut their overall healthcare costs by up to 5% and their costs for chronic health problems by as much as 10%," Mr. Packham said. "In addition, it will help plan members to better manage their chronic conditions and provide a convenient service for those with busy schedules or other challenges."

Michael Biskey, President of Express Scripts Canada, said that this agreement opens up "important new channels through which to introduce our services to companies and organizations of all sizes across Canada.''

"For many years, we have enjoyed a mutually rewarding business relationship with Desjardins," said Mr. Biskey. "Both companies want to deliver the best possible health outcomes at the lowest possible cost to our customers. This is a great win for Express Scripts Canada, Desjardins and, most importantly, the plan sponsors and their plan members. "

Mr. Packham also said that this agreement strengthens an already strong partnership with Express Scripts Canada, and will allow the two companies to work more closely together to serve the needs of the Canadian health-benefits market.

"We continue to strengthen our presence in the insurance market nationwide and we're very pleased to be the first Canadian insurance company to offer this integrated service to clients through the Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy's locations across the country."

In addition to adjudicating pharmacy and dental claims on behalf of Desjardins and its customers, Express Scripts Canada provides expertise in the areas of benefit design consultation, drug utilization review, formulary management and medical and drug-data analysis services.

For more information about Express Scripts Canada's active PBM service and Express Scripts Canada Pharmacy, go to www.express-scripts.ca.

About Express Scripts Canada

Express Scripts Canada, a registered business name of both ESI Canada and Express Scripts Canada Services, each an Ontario partnership, is indirectly owned by Express Scripts Holding Company, a U.S. public entity (formerly Express Scripts, Inc.), and is one of Canada's leading providers of health benefits management services. From its corporate headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario, just outside Toronto, Express Scripts Canada provides a full range of integrated pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services to insurers, third-party administrators, plan sponsors and the public sector, including health-claims adjudication and processing services, Home Delivery Pharmacy Services, benefit-design consultation, drug-utilization review, formulary management, and medical and drug-data analysis services, to better facilitate better health decisions and lower costs. For more information about Express Scripts Canada, visit www.express-scripts.ca.

About Desjardins Insurance

Desjardins Insurance has been offering a wide range of life and health insurance and retirement savings products to individuals, groups and businesses for more than a century. As one of Canada's five largest life insurers, they oversee the financial security of over five million Canadians from offices across the country. Desjardins Insurance is part of Desjardins Group, the country's leading cooperative financial group.

Desjardins Insurance refers to Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company.

SOURCE: Express Scripts Canada