Health insurance company Humana revealed Monday that it has formed a new alliance with billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy venture, Cost Plus Drugs, focusing on technology integration and prescription distribution services.
Under the agreement, Humana’s CenterWell pharmacy division will act as a distribution partner for Cuban’s platform while adopting the SwiftyRx digital system to handle prescription processing. The collaboration will enable Humana to provide mail-order prescription services to eligible workers who participate in the company’s employee health benefit programs.
According to Humana, the digital alliance is designed to cut expenses through enhanced operational efficiency, including automated verification of patient health plan coverage. The SwiftyRx platform employs artificial intelligence technology to automatically validate prescriptions, confirm insurance benefits, and facilitate prescription transfers between different pharmacies.
Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs operates by applying a standard markup to medications sold through its online pharmacy service. “Everyone should be able to get safe, affordable medication,” Cuban stated in the announcement.
The partnership comes as Humana continues to focus primarily on government-sponsored insurance programs, which represent approximately 85% of its business operations. The company announced in 2023 its intention to mostly withdraw from employer-based health plans.
Despite this shift, Humana indicated it plans to work with Cost Plus Drugs to create an innovative framework for employer-sponsored health coverage moving forward.
