Our history

Powered by the strength of a unique Blue + Prime foundation, we’ve grown from a small pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) to a leading total drug management enterprise. From there, Prime and Magellan Rx joined forces in 2022 to offer next-generation pharmacy solutions and a truly differentiated experience, delivering exponentially more value to everyone we serve.

2020 and beyond:
Empowering clients, providers and members

As others consolidate to capture market share and steer patients into their wholly owned channels, Prime remains fully aligned with our Blue Plan clients. Our unbiased, integration model, enables us to work with clients and local providers to develop tailormade solutions. With right-place, right-time information, clients, providers and members are empowered to make choices that improve experiences and outcomes.

  • 2023: Mostafa Kamal named Prime Therapeutics’ president and CEO.
  • 2022: Prime acquires Magellan Rx Management for $1.35 billion to offer next-generation pharmacy solutions and a truly differentiated experience, delivering exponentially more value to everyone we serve.
  • 2022: ClearStone Solutions selects Prime to administer Medicare Part D pharmacy benefits beginning Jan. 1, 2023. ClearStone manages pharmacy services for the Northern Plains Alliance, which serves 130,000 Medicare members in seven states.
  • 2022: State Government Solutions introduces MRx Value Plus, the first multi-state value-based contract designed to help state Medicaid programs provide access to multi-million-dollar cell and gene therapies.
  • 2021: Insights+, a highly consultative data and analytics platform integrating medical and pharmacy data, succeeds Specialty Monitor and expands service to include select employer group clients.
  • 2021: Prime launches MedsYourWay™ – Home Delivery, offering participating Blue Plan members Amazon Pharmacy as a home delivery option.
  • 2020: As COVID-19 spreads, concern for employee health prompts Prime to be among the earliest companies to close facilities and move to a remote work model.
  • 2020: Leveraging artificial intelligence technology from SAS, Prime’s award-winning enhanced fraud, waste and abuse (FWA) program saves clients $280 million in 12 months.
  • 2020: The Prime Together Foundation is created to address inequality and injustice in all its manifestations, particularly racism, poverty, health and hunger.

2015-2019:
Moving ahead in a shifting landscape

As high-cost specialty drugs blur the line between the medical and pharmacy benefit, the Blue and Prime model thrives. Prime develops and delivers data analytics and drug management solutions that reduce the total cost of care. By the end of the decade, our integrated model includes 23 Blue Plans — 19 as owner-clients — with more than 30 million members.

  • 2019: Specialty MonitorTM, a powerful analytics tool, gives clients self-service access to their integrated specialty drug data.
  • 2019: Magellan Rx Management disease-specific programs achieve over $2.1 billion in combined, lifetime savings.
  • 2018: Prime’s award-winning Controlled Substance Management Program contributes to a 79% decline in the number of high-risk opioid users over the previous five years.
  • 2018: Magellan Rx Management launches predictive analytic capabilities with MRx Predict.
  • 2017: Prime breaks ground on Prime Landing, a state-of-the art corporate headquarters in Eagan, Minnesota.
  • 2017: Magellan Rx Management Collaborates with Health New England to launch Hemophilia Management Program.
  • 2016: BCBS of Rhode Island joins Prime as an equity owner.
  • 2015: Prime launches Best in Care™, a set of drug management programs for high-cost drugs.
  • 2015: Prime’s award-winning Specialty Drug Watch List prepares clients for the impact of new, high-costs drugs using client-specific integrated data.
  • 2015: Prime Analytics™ provides clients with on-demand access to daily reports and interactive dashboards to analyze drug spend and trend.

2010-2014:
Helping improve care, reducing cost through integration

Prime and our clients begin to realize the value of integrated medical and pharmacy claims data to help clients and doctors make better decisions that help improve outcomes and control costs.

  • 2014: Integrated care reduces medical costs by 11%, according to a joint study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and Prime.
  • 2014: Magellan Rx Management (MRx) is born. MRx unites Partners Rx, ICORE Healthcare and Magellan Medicaid Administration into a single brand that operates as Magellan Health’s integrated pharmacy business.
  • 2013: Prime and Florida Blue develop an award-winning controlled substance (CS) program that saves lives.
  • 2012: BCBS of North Carolina joins Prime as an equity owner.
  • 2011: Prime introduces CareCentered Contracting™, an innovative contracting program with drug makers.
  • 2011: GuidedHealth®, a leading-edge clinical intelligence hub, helps members and clinicians make better decisions based on Prime’s unique pharmacy and medical data.
  • 2010: Prime introduces “be well” for employees, offering wellness screenings, health coaching, classes and more.

1998-2009:
Building a trusted, transparent PBM

With for-profit drug makers dominating a fragmented pharmacy benefit management (PBM) market, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) plans in Minnesota and Nebraska created Prime Therapeutics. Our transparent model, fully aligned with Blue Plan goals and member-centered priorities, attracts others. By 2010, Prime had 12 Blue Plan client-owners and 17 million members.

  • 2008: PrimeCares formalizes support for its employees and communities.
  • 2007: Prime is among the first PBMs to earn URAC accreditation, enabling clients to delegate PBM functions to Prime.
  • 2006: Florida Blue joins Prime as an equity owner.
  • 2006: Prime is the seventh largest PBM serving the new Medicare Part D program.
  • 2004: Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) joins Prime as an equity owner.
  • 2000-2001: Blue Plans in North Dakota, Wyoming and Kansas join Prime as equity owners.
  • 1998: Prime Therapeutics founded.

Each Blue Cross® and/or Blue Shield® plan is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.