Amy Wadstrom

When Amy Wadstrom helped launch Vivid Clear Rx in 2020, she wasn’t setting out to disrupt an industry — she was trying to fix a problem.

Created out of necessity by parent company Hy-Vee, Vivid Clear Rx was born after company leaders discovered a troubling gap between what their employee health plan was being charged for prescriptions and what their pharmacies were actually being reimbursed. With more than 270 retail pharmacies and deep clinical expertise in-house, Hy-Vee’s leaders concluded they could build a better model. The result was Vivid Clear Rx, a pass-through pharmacy benefit manager built on transparency, fiscal responsibility and customer service — three principles Wadstrom now champions as president.

“My mission is to educate,” she said. “If you’re not in health care, you probably don’t understand what’s happening inside your benefit plan.”

The company’s approach has gained traction nationally, especially as broader conversations to increase around PBM reform. Wadstrom welcomes the industrywide scrutiny. “We are reform,” she said, noting that Vivid Clear Rx’s pass-through model aligns with calls for greater accountability across the industry.

A pharmacist by training and a 29-year Hy-Vee veteran, Wadstrom admits she entered the PBM space without fully grasping its complexities. Six years later, she describes the experience as transformative. The most rewarding part, she said, is proving that a sector with a difficult reputation can operate differently.

“Health care can and should be different,” Wadstrom says.

With one of the industry’s highest Net Promoter Scores, Vivid Clear Rx reflects Hy-Vee’s service culture and its commitment to going the extra mile for employers and patients alike.