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A few months ago, I shared a practical guide to navigating health insurance enrollment, covering the basics of how and when to enroll, plan structures, and examples of how Alchemy works with clinic partners to support patients through the enrollment process. In that guide, I emphasized that helping patients enroll in insurance not only improves care, but is also an opportunity to grow a clinic’s 340B program, especially when there is an entity-owned pharmacy onsite.
Today, I want to put a finer point on the impact of an effective insurance enrollment program by highlighting our work with Someone Cares, an STD clinic in Atlanta. Someone Cares’ in-house pharmacy, powered by Alchemy, opened in November of 2024, ensuring their patients, many of whom are living with HIV/AIDS, have reliable access to their essential medicines.
Recognizing that 60% of Someone Cares’ patients are indigent or homeless, and 41% are uninsured, Alchemy’s clinical team got to work designing an insurance enrollment program to help patients enroll on plans that would cover their HIV or PrEP medication(s), with premium and co-pay assistance available from the clinic for eligible patients based on financial need. The process was straightforward and the impact has been dramatic.
When a provider or the Clinic Manager meets with an uninsured patient, they refer them to Alchemy’s clinical team. Leveraging our custom-designed digital tools, we gather their demographic information, confirm eligibility, review the agreement the patient will sign with Someone Cares to remain adherent to their medications, and coordinate with a broker to process their paperwork to have insurance begin the first of the following month. Behind the scenes, we help patients evaluate available marketplace plans to identify options that cover their medications and minimize their out-of-pocket costs.
Since launching this program in January of 2025, Alchemy has:
- Enrolled 27 patients on insurance, 15 of whom are People Living with HIV, and 12 are on PrEP
- Achieved a medication adherence rate of 81%
- Generated $50,100 in 340B savings, which have supported expanded access to care and services through the end of May
Someone Cares is using these savings to expand services addressing the health-related social needs of its most vulnerable patients, hire an additional Nurse, and expand community outreach, including via their mobile van.
This work exemplifies the heart of Alchemy’s mission, and the original intent of the 340B program. Establishing an in-house pharmacy is just the first step in building an effective 340B pharmacy program. It is the wraparound services - housing, transportation, health insurance - made possible by the 340B savings, that ultimately bring new, hard-to-reach patients into care. This clinical and SDoH work is embedded in Alchemy’s operations. We are not just a pharmacy vendor, but a true partner in growing your program and meeting your patients’ needs.
Want to learn more about how Alchemy could enhance your 340B program? Reach out at hello@alchemyhealth.com
The insurance enrollment program has expanded access to comprehensive care, including HIV, PrEP, and primary care, for patients who were previously un- or under-insured. This has been an impactful addition to the services we offer at Someone Cares, and we’re are grateful for Alchemy's partnership in bringing this program to life.
Alexandra Arzershek
Nurse Practitioner, Someone Cares
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