UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx will launch a new pharmacy care model in 2027. The structure replaces traditional pricing with a fixed per-member monthly fee.
This fee remains independent of drug manufacturers' list prices or prescription volumes. The initiative aims to eliminate spread pricing and increase cost predictability for patients and plan sponsors.
Optum Rx will pass all negotiated drugmaker rebates directly to clients by the start of 2028. This shift addresses industry-wide criticism regarding the role of pharmacy benefit managers in rising U.S. drug costs.