Intermountain, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. Strike Online Generics Deal

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. and Select Health, the managed care arm of Utah-based nonprofit health system Intermountain Health, on Sept. 19 struck a deal to provide Select Health members with what a press release called “direct access” to Cost Plus’ online generics pharmacy. Select Health tells AIS Health, a division of MMIT, that members’ level of access to Cost Plus depends on their plan design and plan sponsor: Some members may be able to count any purchases made through Cost Plus toward their annual deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.

Intermountain, which owns its own PBM, Scripius, is just the latest notable regional player to partner with Cost Plus on generics. The deal comes shortly after the much discussed move by Blue Shield of California to unbundle its PBM contracts. (As part of Blue Shield’s new strategy, Cost Plus will manage retail pharmacy pricing and payment for the insurer.)