Medco Health Reviews

Pros

benefits, pay, co-workers were good people

Cons

everything else you can think of, control freaks

Advice to Senior Management

Get a clue!

Pros

1. Hours - no nights or weekends needed for certain positions, though many positions are more demanding of time.
2. Salary - pretty darn good.
3. Benefits including 401(k) w/match, PPO/HSA, life insurance, disability insurance, other stuff.
4. GREAT coworkers.
5. Good use of technology and resources.
6. Tolerance of a union within some job functions.
7. Outsourcing to this point has mostly been with non health care-related positions like customer service representatives.
8. Management is about as buggy as anywhere but in the end they're decent people.
9. At least right now you would not in any way feel like you're working for a crooked company.

Cons

1. Medco got bought by Express Scripts and so now you should be reading the Express Scripts page to see what working for that company is going to be like.
2. Apparently, working for that company ain't so hot.
3. Most of the pros mentioned will change after the buyout is complete.
4. It probably won't be for the better.
5. That's assuming you still have a job.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep in mind that all of this is public info...

Medco actually stood for something before it lost its contract with CalPERS due to poor dealings with a former CalPERS board member. Even if nothing wrong took place, it sure LOOKED like something wrong took place and image costs a lot, be it appearances on Mad Money to pump up the stock or SEC filings stating that 4 million dollar payments to ex-public officials are entirely appropriate and legitimate.

It cost us the CalPERS contract. Because of that, Blue Cross Blue Shield (the Federal Government and state plans), United Healthcare, IBM, and other big fish followed. The result is our CEO selling us off to a shark so that our company doesn't collapse from the mismanagement that happened. Now our company will be gutted of its very best resources and the rest discarded.

Even if selling the company helped to avoid total disaster the leadership should not applaud themselves, nor should the board who likewise failed in its oversight of the leadership. Our leadership merely accomplished placing 5th in a race of 8 when it once ranked as the world's #1 sprinter--we had really good control of our situation but then lost contracts overnight. The executives placed wealth and livelihoods in jeopardy. Because of that, you all should be fired.

The best advice I can give is for you all to convince Express Scripts to spin off the major technologies and clinical programs to United Healthcare at the close of 2012--perhaps then the spirit of Medco will live on and can escape your tragic, tragic error.

Pros

Salary and benefits were pretty good
Decent commute and work environment

Cons

Management doesn't care about the workers who spent long hours building and supporting the business. Layoffs and outsourcing rampant. No sense of job security.

Advice to Senior Management

Once it appeared that you had a vision, now it is apparent that you are only concerned with your bonus at the expense of employees.

Pros

I was involved in many, many facets of the business usually privied to a director or higher. I would not trade the professional experience. I am greatful for the experience.

Cons

The only downside is the mentality of a very small number of the staff attempting to use their union to their advantage. Unfortunately this is an issue with most facilities based on a call center module.

Pros

There are plenty of opportunities to take on challenging work and be rewarded for your efforts. For those who have talent, display aptitude and the right attitude, promotional opportunities are available. Medco offers ample training, tailored to specific roles and mentoring programs.

Cons

The work life balance is a challenge as it is a fairly lean organization with aggressive targets and goals. A day away from the office is rare, a day away from the office entirely unplugged is even rarer.

Pros

I was promoted 4 times and the people are great! If you work with the right managers and directors you will learn a lot and they treat you great and they appreciate the hard work you put in.

Cons

Long hours, lay-offs of strong employees left the rest of us to do the same work with much less and it hurt the morale and the service.

Advice to Senior Management

Too late for any advice, they dropped the ball on what was once a great fortune 50 company.

Pros

Better than average pay, great technology, technically savvy management, good benefits, generally competent people, great remote access capability (for 24x7 support)

Cons

Extremely political, too much infighting for resources, run by the VP club, Sr. management let the company and employees down, the demand for hours worked during the night, weekends (24x7) is extremely high, considered a given and is rarely compensated.

Advice to Senior Management

Develop the middle management skill/responsibility level, enable departments to work toward the common goal, promote professionally not demographically, get rid of the silos (there are still some) and minimize the politics - it is counter productive.

Pros

There a many wonderful people that work at Medco. Many people have the opportunity to have the work at home option which provides a nice work life balance.

Cons

The amount of hours you need to work to get you work completed is insane.

Pros

Work at home, good compensation, some bonus but stock options are harder to get now since Snow took over. Years ago we were treated very good with stock options, now upper management keeps it all to themselves, very selfish but the joke is on them because now the stock isn't worth anything.

Cons

Very uncertain environment with outsourcing and the pending merger, many will lose their jobs and many have in the past 8 years. Medco fires people twice a year and replaces them with off shore workers from India and elsewhere.

Advice to Senior Management

Good Luck, the company is falling apart and Express Scripts has their own management.

Pros

Decent medical/ dental/ vision benefits

Cons

management
performance metrics
lack of respect for executive employees

Advice to Senior Management

Treat your pharmacists better- WE are YOUR company.