Health insurer Aetna Inc. said it will terminate its mail-order contract with Express Scripts Inc., according to reports yesterday.
The move, designed to cut prescription drug costs for Aetna, Hartford, CT, means the nation's No. 2 health insurer will move its mail-order fulfillment business in-house. In addition to cutting costs, the switch to an in-house model gives the insurer greater control of its drug database and will let Aetna track drug trends, according to reports.
Aetna's mail-order pharmacy line is valued at $4 billion and accounts for 10 percent of the company's business. Express Scripts as well as other benefit managers will continue to handle Aetna's pharmacy fulfillment.
Aetna insures 14.4 million people.
