Rachael Romano

COMM 351
April 8, 2015
Families come first for HealthWay
Sandy Martin, a single mother, woke up at 4 a.m., and checked her refrigerator for her
daughters insulin medication. It wasnt there. Martin stared at the blank spot where the
medication should have been. She had forgotten to pick up the insulinagain. After working an
early morning shift at the diner across the street from her house, then staying up late to catch up
on paperwork for her full-time job at the Motor Vehicle Administration, she had forgotten to pick
up the medication. Martin shuddered to think what would happen to Mary, her Type 1 diabetic
daughter, if she didnt have her insulin shot. She picked up her keys and called the diner. She
would have to miss her shift today.
Sandy Martin was HealthWays first Maryland State Employees Association customer.
Her story is a common struggle for many Maryland employees; however, since HealthWays
partnership with the MSEA one year ago, it has been HealthWays goal to provide a reliable and
easy service. Our by-mail prescription service, Mail-Meds, makes it easier for Maryland state
employees like Martin to obtain medications.
It can be stressful managing my daughters prescriptions, said Martin. My daughters
health is my first priority, and I need a service I can rely on.
Since our partnership with the Maryland State Employees Association one year ago, the
number of prescriptions we have filled has gone up almost 700 percent, while customer service
inquires have dropped 78.5 percent. This year we had an exceptionally virulent flu season, and
HealthWay was able to fill 6,674 prescriptions for Maryland State Employees Association
members alone. HealthWay can be counted on through thick or thin to get our customers
medications to them as fast as possible.

Not only does HealthWay provide quality service, but we provide it at an affordable
price. According to a Maryland State Employees Association survey of comparative prescription
costs, HealthWay offers some of the most common medications in greater quantities at 25
percent below the unit cost, whereas other walk-in pharmacies sell the medication in smaller
quantities for more.
My prescriptions not only come on time, but I am paying less for them, said Louis
McGreen, Maryland State Employees Association member and HealthWay customer. It makes
me feel like HealthWay really does care about its customers and their satisfaction.
Maryland State Employees Association retirees make up 35 percent of the people
enrolled in our services. HealthWay encourages retirees and all customers to contact customer
service, especially if you need help setting up your Mail-Meds program.
A woman called last Friday frustrated because she didnt know how to set up her MailMeds account, said Mia Smith, a HealthWay customer service representative. I told her not to
worry and walked her step by step through the process. Now she has her medications delivered
every two weeks. I gave her my name and number and told her to call whenever she needed help
managing her account.
HealthWay knows how important medical care is to the community and to the members
of the Maryland State Employees Association. We are proud to report that HealthWay passed all
of the Maryland State Employees Associations quality control inspections.
On behalf of HealthWay, I would like to thank our staff for their continued support and
devotion to healthcare excellence, and the Maryland State Employees Association for the
opportunity to provide our community members and families like the Martins the care they
deserve, said Stan Sterling, Mail-Meds vice president and Quality Control director.
We are happy to report that Martin no longer has to miss a shift in order to make it to the
pharmacy before it closes, or worry about getting her daughter her insulin shot on time. Mary
gets to spend a little more time with her mother and remain a healthy little girl.