SAFEWAY PLANS FOR MEDICARE EDUCATION

DAN ALAIMO

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Preparing for the complexity of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, which began last week, while doing business in multiple markets, Safeway here has formed partnerships with several insurance companies to provide information on the new benefit.

The retailer is working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Chicago; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Richardson; Health Net, Woodland Hills, Calif.; and PacifiCare Health Systems, Cypress, Calif.

"We are providing customers with unbiased and reliable information from multiple reputable sources," said Ash Yerasi, spokesman for Safeway Pharmacy Operations. "There are hundreds of options for Medicare participants to choose from. So we wanted to work with plans that have a strong presence in Safeway's geographical areas who are committed to making sure that Medicare participants make the right choices for their personal needs.

"We want to be a true one-stop-shopping location for our customers and that goal includes providing them with information for their health care and prescription needs."

Safeway is still working with these companies on how to deliver this information, Yerasi told SN. "We would like to offer guidance and direction by using both online functionality as well as in-store outreach."