This isn’t surprising; workers’ comp is a very mature industry which demands consolidation. As the market shrinks, winners will be those with size, scale, and buying power.
myMatrixx has a very strong brand, excellent customer implementation and service, strong clinical capabilities and a solid portal. What it doesn’t have is buying power, and the biggest payers shied away from myMatrixx as it is one of the smaller PBMs with a dearth of hundred-million-dollar accounts.
Express Scripts’ work comp division has scale, a core group of really good professionals, and a few marquee customers. What it doesn’t have is a strong brand image and the resources demanded by payers increasingly relying on their PBMs for all-things-pharmacy; opioid management, data reporting, patient enrollment and monitoring, physician profiling, high-risk-claim flagging.
Artemis Emslie will assume overall leadership. I’ve known Artemis for 25 years; she has a very good reputation in the industry and knows work comp pharmacy deeply. As she takes over what is now a very large work comp PBM, I’d encourage her and her new bosses to consider a couple things.
Keep the myMatrixx brand. Brand is all powerful, and the market message that will be heard is things are changing, ESI is investing in and providing resources for work comp. That is critical.
Keep doing the smart marketing mM has done for years – rides from airports to conferences, the Phil Walls webinars, the overwhelming focus on pleasing customers.
Get out to all customers today, and listen listen listen. Don’t inundate them with corporate speak and blather, rather ask questions, dig deep, and document everything. This is a great opportunity to hear directly from customers – a very valuable opportunity.
Staff at both companies are excited about the merger; I’ve spoken with several who are pretty pumped. This itself is unusual and speaks to their inherent grasp of each company’s challenges.
While terms weren’t disclosed (they likely will be at some point as ESI is a public company) my sources indicate the price was in the $300 – $350 million range, a hefty valuation indeed.
What does this mean for you?
The whole is rarely greater than the sum of the parts. In this case, it will be – if the new entity has adequate resources and sticks with what made mM successful. A stronger PBM with more capabilities is good news for all payers.
Joe – I have your limo reservation already on my list…. See you at Nationals.
I’m definitely excited!!!
Joe,
We can only hope that ESI allows MM folks to continue to do the great job they have been doing. I went through one ESI acquisition and it was a total disaster when they assumed the helm! From my experience, ESI was a “fill the pill” giant, MM not so much. My recommendation to those of us who understand, really understand the value of a great PBMs, is to proceed with caution and eyes wide open with this deal. Great capabilities does not automatically equate to laser focus attention to what matters most and that’s what we need in the WC industry and within the WC PBM space. Selfishly, my fingers are cross that this will turn out to be a good thing for the payor community.