United Health Care urges pill-splitting to ease swollen expenses

In another push following an initial effort made last fall, the second-largest health insurer in Illinois is encouraging its members to split pills to help them save money on select maintenance drugs.UnitedHealthcare Illinois has sent letters to its members to inform them that by using higher-strength tablets and splitting them in half, they will get the same medication and dosage for half the cost. Members can save $150 to $300 in copayments for one drug over a year in the Half Tablet program.Member physicians also are being urged to inform patients about the voluntary program and change prescription doses for those who participate. Physicians must write the prescription for a double-strength tablet with instructions to take one-half tablet.In Illinois, 8.5 percent of UnitedHealthcare members have participated in the pill-splitting program since its inception last October. The goal is to have 20 percent participation rate by the end of 2006. United Healthcare will provide pill splitters to members who request them."We do not have a specific policy on pill splitting," said spokesman Tony Rau of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the largest insurer in the state. "We don't promote it, but we understand that some people do choose to split pills, and that's a decision to be made by members and their pharmacists to determine whether that's an appropriate option in terms of cost savings on drugs."Not all medications are appropriate for pill splitting. UnitedHealthcare has identified 17 medications that can be split and retain their effectiveness. These include the cholesterol-lowering drugs Crestor, Lipitor, Pravachol, Pravastatin and Zocor; the ACE inhibitors Aceon, Mavik and Univasc; the Angiotensin Receptor Blockers Atacand, Avapro, Benicar, Cozaar and Diovan; the antidepressants Lexapro, Pexeva and Zoloft and the antiviral Valtrex."The program is aimed at making medication affordable and increasing patient compliance," said Bill Moeller, president and CEO of UnitedHealthcare Illinois. "Pharmaceutical companies in many cases charge the same price for drugs regardless of pill size," he said. "This program makes good economic sense for anybody who takes medications in these categories of drugs."Michael O'Rourke of Crown Point, Ind., takes Zocor to manage his cholesterol. At his doctor's suggestion, he began to split 20-milligram tablets and take the 10-milligram dose a year ago. He saved about $150 in copayments. "It's very easy," he said. "I bought the pill splitter at the local drugstore, and when I get my pills, I sit at the table and cut them in half. It's very simple and certainly worth the savings."

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