HEALTH INSURER PROMOTES PILL SPLITTING TO CUT Rx SPENDING

One of the nation's largest health insurers is activelyurging its members to secure prescriptions for morepotent drugs and then practice pill splitting to reducemedication costs.

The new "Half Tablet Program" that United Healthcareis promoting to many of its 25 million members offersparticipants the opportunity to reduce their monthlydrug copays by 50% on 16 selected medicines. Drugscovered by the new program include such widely prescribedcholesterol-lowering treatments as Lipitor andCrestor, as well as popular antidepressants such asZoloft and Lexapro.

The company, which is providing free pill splitters tomembers, estimates that the program could reducemonthly copayments for patients enrolled in the programby as much as $25 per prescription.