Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. Promote Generic Medications Through Education and Generic Samples.

Business Editors

DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2003

Together Companies Produced Nearly a Million Dollars in Drug Spend

Savings

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company and General Motors have teamed up with Medco Health Solutions Inc. to promote the use of generic drugs by encouraging physicians to increase their generic prescribing rates.

All four Michigan-based companies collaborated with Maisa Haddad, a clinical specialist with Medco Health, as part of Generics First(R), a nationwide program that uses brand pharmaceutical tactics to provide physicians with generic drug education and access to generic samples. The program generated an average of nearly $1 million in drug spend savings from physician office visits in 2001 in each of its markets, including Michigan. In addition, participating physicians demonstrated a 22 percent jump in their generic prescribing rates over prescribing rates of a comparison group of physicians. Through Generics First, pharmacists conduct monthly one-on-one meetings with physicians, offering them detailed clinical and cost information on generic drugs and encouraging them to consider prescribing generic alternatives to higher cost brand-name medications whenever clinically appropriate. Generic drug samples are also made available to the physicians through a simple fax/mail order form.

"There are generic alternatives that are much lower cost and provide similar efficacy to branded medications for many health conditions. In these instances, it makes absolute sense both clinically and financially to prescribe generics whenever possible," said Haddad. "Through face-to-face meetings with physicians where we can discuss the benefits of generic alternatives, we're clearly providing a service that has tremendous value to these doctors and their patients."

During the pilot Haddad made multiple visits to over 400 physicians in the Detroit and Flint areas, to discuss the availability, clinical benefits, and economic value of various generic medications and to encourage their use as first-line therapy and to provide access to generic drug samples. An additional 1000 physicians had access to these generic drug samples through a direct mail component. Through this comprehensive effort, participating physicians in Michigan ordered 92,000 generic samples, which amounted to over 570,000 days of therapy, demonstrating that physicians across the state embrace the use of samples to increase the amount of generic medications they were willing to prescribe as first line therapy when clinically appropriate.

Besides Generics First, BCBSM, DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM each boasts a number of additional generic awareness initiatives.

"The $1 million savings through the Medco Health program is one part of an estimated $29 million in savings that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has generated for its customers under multiple programs that it has had underway to promote generics over the last 18 months," said Atheer Kaddis, director of pharmacy services/clinical for the Michigan Blues. "We are pleased to have Medco Health join with us in this effort to increase awareness of the value of generics."

Generic medications have become a highly touted counter to rising prescription healthcare costs. Nationwide, every one percent increase in generic utilization decreases prescription drug costs by $1.16 billion per year.

"Through our partnership with Medco Health, we have positively impacted our drug spend by promoting best-in-class prescribing of drugs that address the under use, misuse and over use occurring among GM employees and retirees," said Cynthia Kirman, GM director of pharmacy services. "The results of Generics First demonstrate that physicians appreciate the information provided to them by other health care professionals.

"Ford's efforts to educate physicians as well as our employees, retirees and their families regarding the appropriate use of generic drugs is making a positive impact on our overall health care costs," said Dr. John Wright, Ford's executive physician. "Generics First is an excellent cooperative initiative to promote the safe and effective use of generic drugs, and we're proud to be a part of it.

Based on the success of the pilot program, Medco Health has expanded the Generics First program to include up to 1,800 physicians in Michigan who will receive clinical and cost education or access to free samples of leading generic medications. Of these physicians, 470 were invited to participate in a recently launched, innovative e-education program that provides Generics First information online.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit corporation, provides health care benefits to 4.8 million members through a variety of plans: Traditional, Blue Preferred and Community Blue PPOs, Blue Choice Point of Service, and the Blue Care Network HMO. Its group customers include General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit www.bcbsm.com

About DaimlerChrysler Corporation

DaimlerChrysler Corporation (NYSE: DCX), also known as the Chrysler Group, is the North American-based unit of DaimlerChrysler AG. It is involved in the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, financing and sales of cars, minivans, sport-utility vehicles and trucks for customers worldwide. The Chrysler Group operates in more than 90 countries and provides healthcare to approximately 390,000 employees, retirees and their dependents in the United States. DaimlerChrysler Corporation spent $1.4 billion for health care in 2002 with prescription drugs accounting for approximately $414 million of the total health care bill.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is the world's second-largest automaker with approximately 350,000 employees, and operations in more than 200 markets on six continents. It provides healthcare benefits to approximately 600,000 employees, retirees and their dependents in the United States. Ford spent $2.7 billion for health care in 2002, Prescription drug costs account for 25% of its total health care bill. Ford's automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. The company will officially observe its 100th anniversary June 16, 2003. Additional information can be found on the company's Web site at www.ford.com.

About General Motors Corporation

General Motors (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM employs about 355,000 people around the world. GM is the largest private purchaser of health care in the United States. It provides healthcare benefits to 1.2 million employees, retirees and their dependents. GM spent $4.5 billion for health care services in 2002, $1.4 billion of which represented prescription drug costs.

About Medco Health

Medco Health Solutions, Inc., is the nation's leading provider of prescription healthcare services, based on the $33 billion in drug spend the company managed for its clients in 2002. Formerly known as Merck-Medco, Medco Health is a wholly owned and independently managed subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), and assists its clients to moderate the cost and enhance the quality of prescription drug benefits provided to about 64 million Americans nationwide.