New Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) Has First In-Store Enrollee

Today Marks First Day People Eligible for Medicare Can Sign Up for 2011 Coverage, Including New Innovative Medicare Part D Plan that Offers Lowest National Monthly Premium*(1)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. and BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) or ("Walmart") announced today that Mary Lee Reinscheld became the first Medicare beneficiary to sign up for the new Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) at one of the Humana informational kiosks available in approximately 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide. Reinscheld signed her Humana application at Walmart store #1170 in Louisville, Ky., as the annual enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors and people with disabilities, got underway.

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Humana's new innovative Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, co-branded with Walmart can provide significant savings on monthly plan premiums and prescription medicine copayments and cost-shares. The new plan features one nationwide monthly plan premium of $14.80. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) offers the lowest monthly nationwide premium for a stand-alone Part D plan in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.*1 The plan can save a typical member an estimated average of more than $450 in 2011 through low premiums, copayments and cost-shares.*2  

Nearly 18 million Americans currently rely on a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan for their prescription drug needs*3, and the number is expected to grow to 26 million by 2015*4. Seniors account for a third of all prescriptions in the United States*5, and on average, people enrolled in stand-alone Medicare Part D plans fill 42 prescriptions per year*6."

"As the world's largest retailer, Walmart is uniquely positioned to help drive down the costs associated with prescription medications," said John Agwunobi, M.D., president of Walmart's Health and Wellness division. "Our participation in this plan is another example of Walmart's ongoing commitment to helping customers save money and live better, especially when it comes to providing affordable health care."

"At Humana, we've been working closely with Medicare beneficiaries for a quarter of a century now, and we're looking forward to strengthening that relationship with this new Medicare Part D plan," said William Fleming, Pharm.D., vice president of Humana Pharmacy Solutions. "Especially in the current economy, people with Medicare are looking for ways to better afford their health care. That was one of the primary objectives of health care reform – making care more affordable. And we're achieving that with this new Part D plan."

Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP): Benefits and Details

  • One affordable monthly rate nationwide. The monthly plan premium is less than $15 a month for everyone, regardless of where they live.
    • The Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) offers a monthly plan premium of $14.80, which is less than half the weighted 2010 national average for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans' monthly plan premiums*7.
  • Affordable copayments when plan members use preferred pharmacies like Walmart, Neighborhood Market or Sam's Club pharmacies:
    • In-store copayments on generic prescriptions start as low as $2 when plan members use preferred pharmacies. Copayments increase when prescriptions are filled at non-preferred pharmacies.
    • Copayments as low as $0 for generic prescriptions filled via Humana's RightSource home-delivery (mail-order) prescription service.
  • A broad competitive formulary comparable to other plans, with a list of prescription drugs included in the plan available at humana-medicare.com.

How to Enroll in the Plan: Call, Click or Go

Annual enrollment for Medicare Part D plans begins today, Monday, November 15, 2010 and continues through December 31, 2010. To get more information on the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) and to learn more about these savings:

  • Call Humana to enroll at 1-800-899-0441. For TTY, call 711, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
  • Click on humana-medicare.com or medicare.gov to enroll.
  • Click on walmart.com/rxplan or samsclub.com/rxplan for additional plan details and links to enroll.
  • Visit a Walmart store to speak to a Humana representative.
    • Informational kiosks, including many staffed by Humana representatives, are available in approximately 3,000 Walmart stores across the country. Medicare beneficiaries can click on "Find a Location Near You" at walmart.com/rxplan to locate an on-site Humana representative.

About Humana

Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.1 million medical members and 7 million specialty-benefit members.

Humana is a full-service benefits-solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.

Over its 49-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's Web site at http://www.humana.com, including copies of:

  • Annual reports to stockholders
  • Securities and Exchange Commission filings
  • Most recent investor conference presentations
  • Quarterly earnings news releases
  • Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
  • Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research analysts and institutional investors)
  • Corporate Governance Information

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or "Walmart," serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine's 2010 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmartnews. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

Editor's Note: B-roll containing store, customer and product images can be accessed via the online newsrooms at walmartstores.com/RxPlan and humana.com or at the satellite time below:

Satellite Schedule/Coordinates for B-roll Package:

Coordinates:

Galaxy 18 (123 Degrees WL) KU Digital

Transponder 20A

D/L: 12086.5(H)

Symbol Rate: 6.62 (Data Rate: 8.144)

FEC: 2/3


Available Times:

Monday, November 15, 2010

11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EST (10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. CST)

4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. CST)



References

  1. "Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services." Click on the "2011 Drug Plan Information - State Fact Sheets" under "Spotlights." September 2010. http://www.cms.gov/center/openenrollment.asp.
  2. Savings estimate is based on a comparison between 1) the projected average nationwide out-of-pocket costs for the 2011 benefit year for the average Medicare beneficiary who enrolls in the Humana Walmart-Preferred Rx Plan (PDP) and fills their prescriptions in-store at preferred pharmacies like Walmart, Sam's Club, and Neighborhood Market pharmacies, and 2) the projected average nationwide out-of-pocket costs for the 2010 benefit year for the average Medicare beneficiary. Calculations based in part on industry average PDP premium and benefit information from the "Medicare Part D 2010 Spotlight, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans in 2010 and Key Changes over Five Years", an independent review and analysis of CMS data by the Kaiser Family Foundation (September 2010). Actual savings may vary. For some beneficiaries, actual out-of-pocket costs may be more. Savings estimate may be updated when 2011 benefit year data becomes publicly available.
  3. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation." Medicare: A Primer. Chart: Prescription Drug Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries, 2010, Page 8. April 2010.  http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/7615-03.pdf.
  4. "The Boards of Trustees, Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds." 2010 Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds; Page 183. August 5, 2010. http://www.cms.gov/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads/tr2010.pdf.
  5. "Families USA." Cost Overdose: Growth in Drug Spending for the Elderly, 1992 – 2010; Figure 1: Seniors Consume a Disproportionate Share of Drug Expenses, Page 2. July 2000.
  6. CMS Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) Symposium 2008. "Highlights of Symposium Findings," Page 3.  October 2008. https://www.cms.gov/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/Downloads/PartDSymposiumFactSheet_2008.pdf
  7. "The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation." Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlight: Premiums. Chart: Exhibit 2: Weighted Monthly PDP Premiums, 2006-2010, Page 9. September 2010. http://www.kff.org/medicare/8096.cfm

A stand-alone prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract available to anyone entitled to Part A and/or enrolled in Part B of Medicare. Members must continue to pay their Medicare Part B premiums.  Other retail and mail order pharmacies are available in the Humana network.  Members must use network pharmacies, except under non-routine circumstances. Quantity limitations and restrictions may apply.  If you are a member of a qualified State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, please contact the Program to verify that the mail order pharmacy will coordinate with that Program. The benefit information provided herein is a brief summary, not a comprehensive description of benefits. Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in the plan only during specific times of the year. For more information contact the plan.

Humana Form Number: Y0040_GHA0BMPHH  11102010

SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; Humana Inc.