Humana to join Cigna drug group

Humana said it has agreed to buy prescription medicines for some of its members through a purchasing group run by rival Cigna in a move that the health insurer hopes will help drive down its drug costs.

Beginning April 1, Humana will make pharmacy purchases for its group commercial business through a Cigna group purchasing organization, or GPO, called Ascent, a Humana spokeswoman said.

Such purchasing collectives allow businesses to pool their buying power and seek discounts from vendors.

Commercial medical plans account for only a small portion of overall membership at Humana, which is focused on private Medicare Advantage plans for seniors.

The company reported about 1.3 million members in commercial medical plans as of Sept. 30, compared with 8.4 million in its Medicare business.