MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is making it easier and quicker for care providers to prescribe medications for their patients through a new online solution called PreCheck MyScript. With more than 4 billion prescriptions filled in the United States in 2016, writing a prescription is one of the most common activities in a routine office visit.
PreCheck MyScript provides precise cost information at the point of drug prescribing based on the patient’s benefit plan, and gives care providers patient-specific pharmacy information and details of their insurance coverage. It also automates prior authorizations when needed, eliminating the need for phone calls or faxes. This helps lower costs and results in more timely prescriptions, less administrative hassle and a better patient experience.
Physicians who prescribe a medication using PreCheck MyScript will be able to view exact prescription pricing information for the selected pharmacy and will be alerted to prescription drugs that require prior authorization, are not covered or are non-preferred. PreCheck MyScript will provide alternative, lower-cost medications or prescriptions that may not require prior authorization before they are sent to the pharmacy. If the drug requiring prior authorization is still prescribed, physician practices can submit the authorization online, and in some instances receive instant approval.
UnitedHealthcare, which collaborated with OptumRx, physicians and electronic medical record companies to develop PreCheck MyScript, is the first health plan to offer the tool, which is now available to all care providers in its network. OptumRx will offer PreCheck MyScript to additional clients in early 2018.
“With PreCheck MyScript, physician practices will spend more time with their patients and less time on administrative tasks,” said Dr. Sam Ho, chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare. “It takes the guesswork out of determining whether a prescription is covered by the patient’s benefit plan and if prior authorization is needed. PreCheck MyScript also improves the patient experience due to the more precise cost information that is shared before the patient leaves the doctor’s office.”
PreCheck MyScript will be embedded directly into a care provider’s existing workflow if they are using one of the EMR platforms in which the tool is already integrated. For example, OptumRx and UnitedHealthcare are working with DrFirst, Allscripts and other EMR partners to integrate these capabilities at the point of care for prescribers. By embedding the solution directly into the care provider’s EMR, physicians can seamlessly view prior-authorization information and drug costs, and send the prescription to the pharmacy without having to switch applications.
“By making it easier for doctors to access pricing and coverage data, we foster more open communication between physicians and their patients about drug costs and quality, thereby improving health outcomes and the patient experience,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with UnitedHealthcare to improve physician-pharmacy workflow and patient satisfaction.”
“Allscripts is partnering with UnitedHealthcare to get pertinent prescription pricing information to doctors and their patients as quickly as possible,” said Jay Bhattacharyya, vice president and general manager of Payer and Life Sciences at Allscripts. “Through our partnership, we’re delivering real-time information on medication, empowering clinicians to make more informed decisions and provide better patient care.”
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees
and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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