Navitus Renewed as PBM for Wisconsin ETF by Unanimous Vote of Group Insurance Board

MADISON, Wis., February 23, 2016 – Navitus Health Solutions, LLC announced today that the State of Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has extended its contract with Navitus for an additional one-year term, which will continue through 2017. ETF administers group health insurance programs on behalf of the Group Insurance Board (GIB) for the state and Wisconsin Public Employers (WPE). Navitus first contracted to provide services to the state and WPE programs in 2004, and has served in that capacity ever since.

The GIB voted unanimously to extend the Navitus contract on the recommendation of Segal Consulting, a leading national benefits consulting firm that works with public sector clients. Segal was retained by the GIB in November 2014 to study the state’s health insurance program and make recommendations for future cost savings.

Benchmarking the performance of ETF’s benefit program against other similar programs, Segal found that ETF’s pharmacy benefit expenses, as a percentage of overall medical plan costs (medical and drug combined), are reasonable compared to other large plan sponsors. In addition, the pharmacy program already incorporates a number of effective measures for cost control and management that address future cost trends for the plan.

Navitus currently provides pharmacy benefit management for approximately 250,700 Wisconsin state and local employees, retirees and their dependents. Throughout the extended contract term with ETF, Navitus will continue to negotiate improved pharmacy network discounts and pharmaceutical manufacturer rebates on covered medications, and to pass through 100 percent of the savings to the state and WPE programs.

Navitus also will continue its commitment to high-touch service excellence and close collaboration with ETF to ensure the highest level of satisfaction and a clinically appropriate, lowest-net-cost approach to pharmacy benefit management.

“We appreciate the collaborative nature of the Navitus team,” said Lisa Ellinger, Director of the Office of Strategic Health Policy, ETF Division of Insurance. “Working together, we have implemented a number of important and effective measures to maintain quality benefits for state employees while keeping our costs down.”

Terry Seligman, Navitus President and CEO said, “This extended contract is further proof that Navitus’ extraordinary savings, transparency, innovation and unmatched customer service are hallmarks of our client relationships.”