$100M Saved in Drug Costs… And Growing

Gemini Health services for prescribers, pharmacists and members combine to deliver affordability and ROI.

SAUSALITO, Calif., Nov. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gemini Health LLC, a California-based drug cost transparency platform company, announced today that it has surpassed $100M in drug cost savings in partnership with major health plans. The savings were generated over the past three years by identifying and delivering lower cost, high-quality drug and pharmacy alternatives for roughly half of all prescriptions - ten times the industry average. Alternatives and related savings are then sent to prescribers and pharmacists in workflow, as well as to members, via five patented Gemini services. Savings are identified in actual claims and are calculated based upon switches from higher cost drugs and pharmacies to lower cost alternatives that occur after a Gemini alternative was presented.

Gemini offers services that drive savings on new prescriptions and medications already being taken by members. The services for prescribers are seamlessly integrated into electronic health record (EHR) workflows and allow selection of lower cost medications at the time of prescribing. Prescribers are also presented with lower cost alternatives for their patient's current medications within the EHR during patient appointments. Services for pharmacists are delivered via Gemini's MedOps^SM secure cloud application and allow pharmacists to collaborate with prescribers and patients to make medication therapy more affordable. Services for health plan members are delivered via health plan member portals, mobile apps and member services.

"Our work with Gemini over the past several years has delivered an expanding suite of services resulting in material savings for members and a four-to-one return on investment," noted Salina Wong, PharmD and director of Pharmacy Services at Blue Shield of California. "We've also seen widespread adoption and use of Gemini services by providers in California and by our members."

Mackenzie Clark, PharmD, UCSF pharmacy supervisor and clinical pharmacist, and user of Gemini services explained, "The benefits of drug cost transparency can only be realized with the consistent delivery of high-quality, lower cost, therapeutically equivalent alternatives. Gemini services are unique in their ability to identify and deliver lower cost alternatives." A recent JAMA-published study documented that lower cost alternative delivery to prescribers, while effective in delivering savings, occurs less than 5 percent of the time. Gemini provides high quality alternatives at a rate that is ten times this industry average.

"Gemini's tools to identify and present lower cost alternatives to existing medications are unique and help reduce costs for maintenance medications, in addition to our existing drug cost containment strategies. We've been able to achieve significant savings through our partnership," stated Kunal Patel, PharmD, clinical pharmacist at Horizon Healthcare, Inc., the largest health insurer in New Jersey. 

Gemini's Chief Executive Officer Edward Fotsch, MD noted that beyond direct savings from drug cost transparency, the services also support sales and client retention for health plans. The Business Group on Health recently released its annual survey of large employers, naming drug costs as a top concern. Blue Shield of California's Senior Vice President of Growth Tim Lieb shared that, "Gemini services were material in directly responding to a desire from one of our largest clients for more direct and innovative drug cost savings strategies."

About Gemini
Gemini Health LLC delivers Drug Cost Transparency Services to providers, pharmacists and members to reduce drug and administrative costs for patients, providers, and payers. Gemini's five patented Drug-Cost Transparency Services focus on both new and existing medications and deliver decision support for busy providers and pharmacists integrated into their workflows, including actual patient-specific costs of drugs, lower-cost clinically equivalent alternative drugs and lower-cost pharmacies, when applicable. The alternatives and costs are based upon the patient's pharmacy benefit and related health plan coverage details. Gemini serves provider and payer partners, with a focus on Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. For more information, reach out to Joe Bisson at 443-277-5218.

Media Contact:
Joe Bisson
VP of Sales for Gemini Health
[email protected]
443-277-5218

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SOURCE Gemini Health LLC