County approves Synergy nurse-advocate contract and Impact Rx enrollment to trim specialty-drug costs

Britney (county benefits staff) presented a proposal for the county to contract with Synergy to provide a dedicated nurse who would perform care management for high-risk employees and retirees, help coordinate care and identify lower-cost providers, and assist with specialty-pharmacy management through an Impact Rx program.

Britney said the Synergy contract is estimated at about $94,000 and would cover employees on the county health plan and some retirees. She provided an example of projected savings: the county currently spends about $262,000 on a specialty medication (identified in the transcript as "Solara"); with Impact Rx that spend could fall to about $65,000—an estimated savings of $197,000 for that medication. Britney projected broader specialty-pharmacy savings and cited an estimated net savings of about $289,000 for the plan based on recent months’ data.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions and the board approved the contract (motion by Commissioner Patton). Britney said the nurse advocate would reach out to employees on specialty medications and help transition prescriptions into the Impact Rx program, with medications shipped directly to employees’ homes.