Walgreens Health Collaborates with Buckeye Health Plan to Expand Local Access to Health and Wellness Services

Walgreens Health Corner services will be available to more than 2.27 million patients across 60 locations in California, New Jersey and Ohio by the end of summer

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens Health – a division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. that develops consumer-centric, technology-enabled healthcare solutions – today announced a new collaboration with Buckeye Health Plan to bring innovative health and wellness services to Medicaid members in five northeast Ohio neighborhood locations this summer.

Buckeye Health Plan, an Ohio managed care company, is the third payer to partner with Walgreens Health to launch Walgreens Health Corner™ locations. With additional partners in California and New Jersey across commercial and Medicare plan patient populations respectively, Walgreens Health is now contracted to serve more than 2.27 million patients. By the end of 2022, the number of current Walgreens Health Corners will expand from 55 to approximately 100 locations, which include the additional five in Ohio.

“Walgreens Health Corners are breaking down barriers and expanding access to much-needed healthcare, advice and services for our Medicaid members right in their neighborhoods,” said Buckeye Health Plan CEO Steve Province. “This collaboration opens the door to highly personalized, quality care given by trusted local healthcare professionals. It’s a major innovation that perfectly aligns with Buckeye’s vision to transform the health of the community, one person at a time.”

Walgreens Health Corner locations will offer eligible Ohio Medicaid members access to an integrated healthcare experience led by Health Advisors, who are pharmacists or registered nurses. Health Advisors will provide a range of health and clinical services that supplement care received from primary care physicians and specialists. Patient care services and associated outcomes will be shared with Buckeye Health Plan and additional patient care providers to support individualized, holistic care.

Services that will be offered at Walgreens Health Corner locations range from preventive care and wellness checks to assistance with managing chronic conditions and include:

• Select health screenings, such as blood pressure checks, BMI assessments and HbA1c tests;
• Scheduling mammography appointments;
• Providing test kits for colorectal cancer and diabetic urine screenings;
• Counsel from Health Advisors on general health questions;
• Answering questions about prescription and over-the-counter medications;
• Assistance with technology needs – digital health applications and monitoring devices;
• Administering health risk surveys to collect important data to influence intervention efforts;
• Verifying member information to share updates on health plans, providers, and Walgreens Healthcare team

The services will be available at no additional cost to eligible Buckeye Health Plan members in northeast Ohio.

“Healthcare is inherently local. Our collaboration with Buckeye Health Plan will allow us to tailor our health services based on the needs of the Medicaid members and communities we serve,” said John Do, interim president and chief financial officer of Walgreens Health. “These services are designed to reduce gaps between recommended best practices for a patient’s care and the care that's actually provided, as well as to improve care management and coordination through access to more affordable and convenient services where Buckeye Health Plan members live.”

The collaboration between Walgreens Health and Buckeye Health Plan highlights Walgreens Boots Alliance’s new vision to be the leading partner in reimagining local healthcare and wellbeing for all.

This new collaboration follows a successful Walgreens Pharmacy pilot program launched with Buckeye Health Plan in 2021 to support asthma and COPD patients as part of a multi-phased approach to support comprehensive expanded clinical services. Through the pilot, Walgreens pharmacists counseled patients on how to use their inhalers, provided proactive outreach to non-adherent patients, and used predictive modeling to reach out to people at high risk for becoming non adherent. To date, more than 1,900 pharmacist consultations have been completed.

Buckeye Health Plan was one of the first payers to reimburse pharmacists for these services in Ohio, made possible through recent state legislative changes. This was the first expanded disease state management pilot for asthma/COPD in partnership with a payer to include pediatric and adult Managed Medicaid, Medicare and Health Exchange patients. Learnings from the pilot will be applied to future disease state management programs between Walgreens and Buckeye Health.

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader serving millions of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities.

A trusted, global innovator in retail pharmacy with approximately 13,000 locations across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, WBA plays a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem. The company is reimagining local healthcare and well-being for all as part of its purpose – to create more joyful lives through better health. Through dispensing medicines, improving access to a wide range of health services, providing high-quality health and beauty products and offering anytime, anywhere convenience across its digital platforms, WBA is shaping the future of healthcare.

WBA has more than 315,000 team members and a presence in nine countries through its portfolio of consumer brands: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, Benavides in Mexico and Ahumada in Chile. Additionally, WBA has a portfolio of healthcare-focused investments located in several countries, including China and the U.S.

The company is proud of its contributions to healthy communities, a healthy planet, an inclusive workplace and a sustainable marketplace. WBA has been recognized for its commitment to operating sustainably: it is an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and was named to the 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2021.

More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

About Buckeye Health Plan

Buckeye Health Plan offers managed healthcare for Ohioans on Medicaid, Medicare, integrated Medicaid-Medicare (called MyCare Ohio) and the Health Insurance Exchange. Since 2004, Buckeye has been dedicated to improving the health of Ohioans, many with low incomes, by providing coordinated healthcare and other essential supports that individuals and families need to grow and thrive. Follow Buckeye on Twitter @Buckeye_Health and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BuckeyeHealthPlan. Buckeye is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise offering core Medicaid, Medicare and specialty services.