New prescription drug requirements for 2011

11/19/2010 2:13:32 PM

Summary ... Participants will be required to use Medco Pharmacy for long-term medications and Accredo Health Group for specialty drugs.

Full story ... Effective Jan. 1, 2011, Health Plan participants will be required to use Medco Pharmacy for long-term prescription medications and Medco’s Accredo Health Group for specialty prescription drugs. These new requirements encourage participants to take advantage of the cost savings, added convenience and service from Medco Pharmacy and Accredo specialty pharmacy. 
 
Long-term medications
Effective Jan. 1, 2011, prescriptions for long-term medications (taken for three months or more) must be filled through Medco Pharmacy. If you are a participant and you are already taking one or more long-term medications, or if you receive a new prescription for a long-term medication, you may fill each of your prescriptions twice at a network retail pharmacy, with the applicable retail copayment. All subsequent prescriptions for each long-term medication must be filled through Medco Pharmacy, which ships medications directly to participants. If you continue to purchase a long-term medication at a retail pharmacy after the first two fills at a retail pharmacy, you will pay the entire cost of the medication.

Specialty medications
Also effective Jan. 1, 2011, Health Plan participants must fill prescriptions for specialty medications (high cost pharmaceuticals with special administration, handling or clinical requirements) through Accredo specialty pharmacy. If you are a participant and you are already taking one or more specialty medications, or if you receive a new prescription for a specialty medication, you may fill each specialty prescription once (up to a 30-day supply) at a network retail pharmacy with the applicable retail co-payment. All subsequent prescriptions for each specialty medication must be filled through Accredo, which ships specialty medications in coordination with participants and their physicians. If you continue to purchase a specialty medication at a retail pharmacy, you will pay the entire cost of the medication.

To learn more about these changes, refer to the September 2010 Benefits Update, which was mailed to all Plan participants. You may also view new Medco pharmacy FAQs and Accredo specialty pharmacy FAQs. If you have any questions, please call AFTRA H&R’s Participant Services at (800) 562-4690.