DestinationRX

Founded in 1999 by Michael Cho, DestinationRx, later rebranded as DRX, established itself as a key player in web-based healthcare comparison technology from its headquarters in Los Angeles. The company pioneered online price comparisons for prescription drugs, providing transparency for consumers using the internet and mail-order pharmacies. This initial focus expanded significantly after DRX secured agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which led to the development of a Medicare Part D plan comparison tool. Recognizing a broader market need, the company further evolved its offerings to include medical plan comparisons for large employers and health plans.

DRX's business model centered on licensing its data and technology to a diverse client base that included government bodies, major health plans, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Fortune 500 employers, insurance brokers, and consumer advocacy groups. Its core services equipped these organizations with tools to help consumers navigate the complex healthcare marketplace, enabling them to compare Medicare health plans and prescription drug costs. A key product, DrugCompare, empowered users by showing therapeutic alternatives to high-cost drugs and providing cost-comparison analyses for both prescription and over-the-counter products. The platform became a critical component for clients, powering the official Medicare.gov PlanFinder and Online Enrollment Center.

A significant milestone in the company's trajectory was the acquisition of Rxaminer in 2006, which integrated a suite of equivalent dose drug comparison tools into its offerings. The company's growth was also fueled by venture capital, raising $18.5 million in a Series B round in February 2008 from investors including Scientia Ventures, Lemhi Ventures, and Pine Grove Management. In September 2011, DestinationRx officially rebranded to DRX to better reflect its expanded service portfolio beyond just prescription drugs. The ultimate chapter for DRX as an independent entity came in January 2013, when it was acquired by Connecture, Inc., a provider of sales automation technology for the health insurance industry. This acquisition created an integrated platform serving both commercial insurance and government health plan markets, combining DRX's strength in Medicare and drug comparison with Connecture's expertise in the commercial, individual, and small-group insurance sectors. Following the acquisition, the DRX brand was integrated into its new parent company, eventually becoming ConnectureDRX.

Keywords: health plan comparison, prescription drug pricing, Medicare Part D, enrollment software, healthcare transparency, pharmacy benefit managers, PBM, Connecture, drug cost comparison, therapeutic alternatives, Medicare.gov, PlanFinder, health insurance marketplace, consumer health tools, insurance technology, benefits comparison, healthcare cost control, member acquisition, patient engagement, Medicare Advantage, MedSupp, online enrollment