Draft:Michael Rea (businessman)
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Comment: Thanks for your feedback and comments @Robert McClenon: Just checking in to see if you have any additional feedback or any questions I can answer? I'd be glad to be of any assistance. Stephanie BINK (talk) 18:22, 20 December 2024 (UTC)
- Comment: This draft has a title that either has been disambiguated, or will need disambiguation to be accepted.If this draft is accepted, a disambiguation page will need to be created. (Review of the existing article or articles with the principal name indicates that a disambiguation page should be crated in place of the use of hatnotes alone.) The disambiguation page should be Michael Rea (disambiguation). Robert McClenon (talk) 23:55, 9 November 2024 (UTC)
- Comment: Hello everybody! As part of my work for Beutler Ink, on behalf of Michael Rea, I would like to submit this draft for independent review by the volunteer editor community. I've written what I believe to be a comprehensive article using reliable sources that demonstrate notability. The three strongest articles in this regard are: 1. "A Pharmacist Pitches Comparison Shopping for Prescription Drugs", Bloomberg 2. "Anything is possible': Lansing entrepreneur seeks to inspire youth to follow dreams", La Crosse Tribune 3. "How a pharmacist turned fintech entrepreneur", Financial Times. All feedback is welcome, and thanks for taking the time to review. Cheers, Stephanie BINK (talk) 18:07, 8 November 2024 (UTC)
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (November 2024) |
Michael Rea | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 or 1982 (age 42–43)[1] |
| Alma mater | Creighton University |
| Title | Founder of Rx Savings Solutions |
Michael Rea is an American businessman and pharmacist, best known as the founder of Rx Savings Solutions (RXSS), a prescription drug cost transparency and savings company.
Early life and education
[edit]Rea was born in Lansing, Iowa, a small town of about 800 people.[2][3] When he was a child, Rea first earned money by mowing lawns in his neighborhood.[2] Rea worked as a waiter, dishwasher and factory worker as a teenager.[2]
Career
[edit]In 2007, Rea earned his pharmacy degree from Creighton University, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.[3][4] During college, he interned with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.[2] After graduating, he worked as a pharmacist at a Walgreens pharmacy in Kansas City, Missouri.[5]
Rea said he started Rx Savings Solutions after a 65-year-old woman with diabetes asked which of her medications she should stop taking due to financial constraints.[5] Initially Rea operated RxSS part-time, while maintaining his full-time position as a pharmacist.[1] Rea left Walgreens in 2012, after RxSS entered into a partnership with Mutual of Omaha.[2][5] However, the partnership with Mutual of Omaha ultimately did not succeed due to challenges the insurer faced in the healthcare market.[1] In 2013, Rea raised $1.2 million in funding from investors in Kansas City, followed by an additional $3.7 million from other investors for RxSS.[2][1] In 2014, when Rea's child was four years old, RxSS acquired large employer clients and sold its software to health plans.[6] Rea has said that having an autistic child influenced the development of RxSS, emphasizing clear communication, empathy, and persistence.[6] In September 2022, McKesson Corporation acquired RxSS, which had 17 million members and 280 employees, for $875 million.[2] Rea remained CEO until he transitioned out of the company in 2023.[7] Since leaving RxSS in the Fall of 2023, Rea has focused on philanthropy through his family foundation.[3][2]
Personal life
[edit]Rea is married and has three children. He met his wife, Brandy Kopecky Rea, while studying at Creighton University. [2][3] Rea's eldest son is autistic, which led Rea and his wife to establish the Michael and Brandy Rea Family Foundation. The foundation focuses financial support to fund programs that address job training, housing and food insecurity for the special needs community. As of 2024, he and his family reside in Kansas City.[2][3] [8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Crow, David (March 14, 2017). "How a pharmacist turned fintech entrepreneur". Financial Times. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Michaelson, Gavin (October 16, 2024). "'Anything is possible': Lansing entrepreneur seeks to inspire youth to follow dreams". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Mertes, Micah (October 8, 2024). "How a Creighton alum's $875 million idea helped change an industry". Creighton University. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ Epley, Cole (March 21, 2015). "Former Creighton Classmates Rx Savings Solutions Expects to Triple its Membership". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Clark, Patrick (April 22, 2014). "A Pharmacist Pitches Comparison Shopping for Prescription Drugs". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Diamond, Anna (April 28, 2021). "Navigating the World Differently: A CEO's Business Journey through the Eyes of His Autistic Son". YPO. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Leslie (December 20, 2023). "Rx Savings Solutions undergoes C-suite shakeup, including ouster of founder". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Felts, Tommy (2019-11-16). "Entrepreneur of the Year: Michael Rea says building a startup takes a 'strong stomach'". Startland News. Retrieved 2024-12-20.