Blue Shield of California Launches Prescription Price Transparency Tool for Members

Developed in partnership with Gemini Health, the tool aims to provide real-time access to out-of-pocket costs for new or refilled prescriptions covered under members’ pharmacy benefits.

Blue Shield of California has launched Price Check My Rx, a new prescription price transparency tool integrated within its member app.

Developed in partnership with Gemini Health, the tool aims to provide real-time access to out-of-pocket costs for new or refilled prescriptions covered under members’ pharmacy benefits.

The tool sends push notifications to members when a provider electronically submits a prescription. These alerts let users view cost details immediately and explore lower-cost alternatives, such as generic drugs. Notifications remain accessible in the app for 14 days after they are sent.

Jigar Shah, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Blue Shield of California, said the tool is designed to help patients make informed decisions at the point of care.

“It gives members critical data at the point of care, allowing them to have a dialogue with their provider in an informed way,” Shah said.

He added that it’s “that whole notion of pulling it forward and ending the guesswork, because you know exactly what it’s going to cost you by switching to generic, and how much you’re going to save.”

The initiative is part of Blue Shield’s broader Pharmacy Care Reimagined strategy, which emphasizes transparency by leveraging multiple vendors for pharmacy benefit management (PBM) rather than relying on a single provider. The insurer launched this PBM model on January 1 and reported improved results, particularly transparency.

Shah noted that Gemini Health's ongoing collaboration made it an obvious partner for this project. He also emphasized the insurer’s commitment to a digital-first strategy rooted in human-centered design.

“Every time we encounter these issues, we’re like, ‘Why isn’t this simplified? Let’s just go simplify this,” Shah said.

He also shared that early results show high usability: “In the first few weeks of its availability, the team has sent out thousands of pings to members without receiving any calls back, indicating its usability is high,” Shah said.

Blue Shield is also pursuing other digital tools, such as a recently announced partnership with Zocdoc, as part of its broader aim to streamline member experiences.

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