Why FDS Amplicare Chose HealthPlanOne to Help Pharmacies with Medicare Plans

For years, Amplicare helped pharmacists guide patients through the Medicare process. With Match, pharmacists can help patients compare Medicare plans and find the ones that are both the most beneficial and cost-effective. Plus, Match also shows the pharmacist how the plans will affect their business, giving them insight into the plan's effects on reimbursement and DIR fees.

After FDS and Amplicare merged to become FDS Amplicare, they partnered with HealthPlanOne to help pharmacies with Medicare plans. Let's learn why.

Who is HealthPlanOne?

HealthPlanOne, LLC, or HPOne for short, is a health insurance agency focused exclusively on the sales and marketing of Medicare plans. They work with patients, walking them through the process of selecting a health plan and answering any questions they may have. So why did FDS Amplicare choose to partner with HPOne over all the other Medicare brokers out there?

HealthPlanOne Believes in the Importance of the Patient-Pharmacist Relationship

The patient-pharmacist relationship is paramount, and HealthPlanOne knows that. Their Medicare advisors have been specifically trained on the pharmacy industry and the importance of the relationship pharmacists have with their patients. They understand that it takes time for patients and pharmacists to develop a good rapport, and that the relationship between them can have an impact on the patient's health outcomes. With that in mind, their goal is to place patients in Medicare plans that best meet the patients' needs while also keeping them as customers in plans that benefit your pharmacy.

How Will HealthPlanOne Work Alongside FDS Amplicare?

Let's walk through a typical Medicare enrollment consultation. You and your patient set up a time to meet for the consultation. Using Match, you go through their plan options, finding the "win-win" health plans that benefit both your patients and your pharmacy. You go over their plan options right there in the pharmacy, or you do the consultation over the phone while they follow along on their home computer using the Navigate patient portal. They have a few questions for you, but you either aren't sure of the answers or you don't have enough time to work through them. You refer your patient to an HPOne representative, who takes over from there. The HealthPlanOne representative takes your patient further through their options, accounting for their individual medications and treatment while still ensuring that they can stay with their pharmacy. The representative will also see any "win-win" health plans, all of your saved comparisons, and any notes you have already added. After reviewing the options with the HealthPlanOne representative, the patient submits their plan choice.

Now, that's not how every interaction has to go. Patients with simpler medication regimens may not require additional assistance. Ten minutes on Match (and/or Navigate) might be enough. But if you or your patient does need extra help, HealthPlanOne is there.

Will HealthPlanOne Steer Patients Away from My Pharmacy?

Medicare brokers can make some pharmacists nervous. In the past, brokers have sold plans to patients that placed their pharmacies out of network. As loyal as many patients can be, higher out-of-pocket costs can be very motivating — particularly for patients on a fixed income. So how do you know that HealthPlanOne won't drive your patients to use a different pharmacy?

Simple. It's part of their contract with FDS Amplicare.

HealthPlanOne has a contractual obligation — with a penalty — to keep your patients in your pharmacy. We've worked with other agencies before, and no other broker offers this type of relationship and accountability. Like many of the pharmacies we work with, we've been burned before; we want to make sure it doesn't happen to you.

Because HealthPlanOne understands the importance of the patient-pharmacist relationship, their representatives will not sell your patient a plan that puts your pharmacy out of network. Your patient is your patient.

What Else Makes HealthPlanOne Different?

Unlike independent brokers, HealthPlanOne's agents get paid the same commission regardless of the plan they sell your patients. Their primary goal is to find the best plan for your patient that keeps them in your pharmacy — after all, that's what is truly best for the patient. The goals of the agent, your patient, and your store all align.

Further, if a patient contacts HealthPlanOne with a clear preference for a particular plan — maybe they just have a few questions — they will be enrolled in that plan by the Medicare advisor. Occasionally, there are plans that provide more benefits at a lower cost to your patient. If that patient is open to suggestions, the agent will walk them through those options. But the agent is only there to assist the patient, not guide them toward any particular plans. And to ensure accountability, your patient's profile will be updated to track the status of the plan they enrolled in through HealthPlanOne.

Medicare Help That's Beyond Comparison

When your patients ask you to help them choose a Medicare plan, we hope you'll use FDS Amplicare Match to find plans that benefit both them and your pharmacy. And when they need a little more help, or when your staff simply doesn't have the time, HealthPlanOne is there to supplement your efforts.