Drug benefit costs continue to rise as health plans and employers struggle to manage this benefit that has outpaced overall medical benefit trends. In fact, prescription drugs represent the single most costly factor driving up health care costs for employees. Trend will continue to rise as new, expensive drugs are introduced and the population ages, however there are ways to meet these challenges head-on. Direct costs cannot be looked at in a vacuum and the value of drugs, the outcomes and impact on long-term health of employees also need to be considered when developing the pharmacy benefit.

The new Medicare Prescription Part D Benefit creates even more reason and urgency for health plans and employers to develop new and innovative strategies for management of the pharmaceutical benefit while maintaining clinically appropriate access, efficient delivery and affordable costs for those that utilize the benefit the most.

The World Congress is proud to present the Executive Forum on Rx Benefit Management taking place July 10 - 12, 2006 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. The Forum will showcase how payers are responding to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals with creative new strategies. The Forum will help identify the most pertinent issues for plans to address in the coming year that include providing benefits to diverse populations, adapting to market shifts with consumer-directed initiatives and measuring the impact of existing pharmacy management programs. Additionally, the event will highlight how employers are beginning to identify strategies through drug benefit design to lower medical costs, improve health, lower absenteeism and increase employee productivity.

The Rx Benefit Management Forum 2006 will help senior executives from employers, health plans and government:

• Evaluate current drug trends and develop a comprehensive strategy to contain costs and spending
• Understand the growing area of specialty drug utilization, the impact on patient outcomes and develop effective programs to address the trend
• Apply recent government guidelines, legislation and changes regarding Medicare Part D benefits
• Learn the value of the innovative prescription benefit design and the impact on chronic disease outcomes
• Hear the Pros and Cons of developing an in-house pharmacy program versus outsourcing the benefit
• Understand the growing trend of specialty drug benefits and the impact and value on patient outcomes
• Determine appropriate utilization rates and accurately forecast pharmacy spend
• Benchmark drug plan design against peer organizations, and avoid mistakes others have made while testing programs

Featuring New Research from:

Featured Speakers
William R. Boyles Publisher Consumer Driven Market Report	Keith Bruhnsen Assistant Director Benefits University of Michigan
Jim Carlson, PharmD Director, Pharmacy Clinical Services Group Health Cooperative	John D. Carroll Editor in Chief FierceBiotech
Jeff Casberg Director, Pharmacy ConnectiCare	Peter C. Dandalides, MD Regional Vice President, Medical Director Anthem/WellPoint
Dee W. Edington, PhD Director, Health Management Research Center, Professor, Division of Kinesiology University of Michigan	Eric Estes Vice President Cigna Pharmacy Management
A.Mark Fendrick, MD Professor, Internal Medicine and Health Management & Policy University of Michigan	Harold (Hank) Gardner, MD Founder and President, Human Capital Management Services; Chairman, Health as Human Capital Foundation
Christopher V. Goff, Esq. President & CEO Employers Health Purchasing Corporation of Ohio	Dave Golding, RPh Senior Vice President, Specialty Pharmacy Caremark
John K. Gorman President And CEO Gorman Health Group	Joyce S. Hagen President Passport Health Plan
Daniel J. Hilferty President and Chief Executive Officer AmeriHealth Mercy	David Hom Chair and Special Advisor, Center for Health Value Innovation
Scott G. Hughes, RPh Corporate Vice President, Partner MemberHealth Inc.	Terry Killilea, PharmD Vice President of Pharmacy Regence Blue Shield of Idaho
Jennifer Kingsley-Wilson Chief Executive Officer ARMSRx	Nathan L. Kleinman, PhD Senior Research Analyst and Consultant HCMS Group
Jean D. LeMasurier Director, Employer Group Practice Gorman Health Group	Sharon Levine, MD Associate Executive Director The Permanente Medical Group
Wendy Lynch, PhD Executive Director Health as Human Capital Foundation	Julayna Meyer New Jersey Hospital Association
Marisa Milton Associate General Counsel and Director, Health Care Policy HR Policy Association	Bruce Muma, MD Northern Region Medical Director Henry Ford Medical Group
Cynthia J. Pigg Executive Director Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy	Richard Popiel, MD Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Horizon BlueCross BlueShield New Jersey
Chuck Reynolds Principal and President of Employer Practice The Benfield Group	Rebecca M. Shanahan Ivpcare, Specialty Pharmacy
James G. Sheehan Associate US Attorney United States Attorney's Office	Mary Ellen Sheehy New Jersey Hospital Association
Tracey Shobert Head of Sales Aetna Pharmacy Management	Dexter W. Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH Vice President and National Business Medical Director Healthways
Ron Sims King County Executive King County, State of Washington	Robert Slaton, EdD Executive Vice President University Health Care
Michael C. Sokol, MD, MS Medical Director, Health Management Innovations, Managed Markets Division GlaxoSmithKline	Glen D. Stettin, MD Senior Vice President and General Manager Clinical and Therapeutic Solutions Center Medco Health Solutions
F. Randy Vogenberg, RPh, PhD Chief Strategy Officer EPS	Matt Walsh Associate Vice President, Purchasing Initiatives Health Alliance Plan
Dale Whitney Manager, Health and Welfare UPS