While the overall economy has been slowing down, the rise in health care costs is not going away. This past year alone, the Health Fund saw a 12% increase in claims costs per member relative to the prior year. In order to better understand the causes of this increase, the Trustees ordered the most far reaching claims analysis ever to be performed under the Health Fund. The Plan actuaries, The Segal Company, Care Data, (a claims analytics firm) and CIGNA worked together on the analysis and a real area of concern identified was the lack of use of CIGNA's Tel-Drug Home Delivery Pharmacy (Mail Order Service for prescription for maintenance drugs). These drugs tend to be used at constant levels over long periods of time, such as hormone replacement therapies and other therapies for chronic conditions. This study also showed that our participants used the CIGNA Tel-Drug Mail Order Service at a far lower level than members in most other health plans.
Those who think that being on the road would make a mail order drug plan inaccessible to them might be surprised to learn that CIGNA's Mail Order Service can deliver drugs almost anywhere, including hotels and theatres, at no additional charge for a standard delivery. In addition , the address to which drugs are sent can be easily changed many times per year, without any change being made to your permanent address.
The drugs available through the CIGNA Mail Order Service are quality FDA-approved drugs where participants can benefit from substantial savings on co-pays when the Mail Order Service is utilized. At the same time, the Fund receives much greater discounts when the Mail Order Service is utilized compared to when drugs are secured through a retail pharmacy. So the use of the CIGNA Tel-Drug Mail Order Drug Service is truly a win/win situation.
Therefore, effective January 1, 2010, the use of the CIGNA Tel-Drug Mail Order Service for "maintenance drugs" will be required after your prescription has been filled twice at a local retail pharmacy in 2010. If you choose to fill your "maintenance drugs" at a retail pharmacy after the first two fills, you will be required to pay the full price of these drugs where you will not receive any discounts offered by CIGNA under the Health Fund. The Mail Order Service can be used immediately instead of you having to go to a local pharmacy, which is preferable for prescriptions written on drugs that you have been taking for a while. However, for drugs that are newly prescribed to you, or for situations in which a new dose of a drug you have been taking is ordered by your physician, it is recommended that you secure your first 30 day supply of drugs locally. This helps to assure that the drug is both effective in treating your condition and does not generate serious side effects, before you begin to take that drug on a long term basis. Fill your prescriptions with the CIGNA Tel-Drug Home Delivery Pharmacy and experience the convenience of having:
- Licensed pharmacists available 24/7, to answer your medication questions
- Standard delivery to your home or other preferred location at no additional costs (expedited delivery available – overnight for $17.95 or 2-3 day for $9.25)
- Up to a 90-day supply in one fill – less fills
- Managing your prescriptions online—order refills, compare prices, track orders and much more at myCIGNA.com, https://my.cigna.com/corp/portal/app/member/public/guest
Choose any one of the following ordering set up methods that best fits your needs:
By Telephone: Call 1.800.285.4812. Have the following information handy when you call, and our QuickSwitch associate will do the rest:
1. Name and CIGNA ID Number
2. Prescription medication names (for you and/or your covered dependents)
3. Doctor Information (name, phone number)
4. Credit Card Payment Information (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa)
By Mail: Request a prescription from your doctor for a 90-day supply with refills. Mail a completed order Form Tel-drup form.pdf to:
CIGNA Tel-Drug Home Delivery Pharmacy
PO Box 1019
Horsham, PA 19044
* For the telephone option, delivery time of your drugs will depend on how quickly your doctor responds to CIGNA's request for the prescription approval. Please allow 7-10 business days form the time CIGNA receives your order for processing and delivery.
Therefore, please make sure you leave yourself sufficient time to be assured that your prescriptiom(s) are mailed to you in a timely fashion. Once you have filled the drug through the Mail Order Service, refills can be done online through CIGNA.com https://teldrug.healthcare.cigna.com/healthcare/teldrug/app/public/welcome.do, through your personal registered account with myCIGNA.com, or by calling (800) 835-3784. The average delivery for refills takes between 2-5 business days. Also, refills can be ordered 30 days prior to the end of the 90 day supply. Therefore, make sure that you order your prescription(s) ahead of time in order for them to be sent to you on a timely basis.
For questions regarding the CIGNA Mandatory Drug Program, you can contact CIGNA Tel-Drug Home Delivery Pharmacy Service directly at (800) 835-3784, or by calling the Health Department within the Fund Office and a customer service representative can assist you.
As was previously announced, effective January 1, 2010 the use of mail order for “maintenance” drugs is required after the first time a new prescription has been written and refilled at a local pharmacy. Using mail order prescriptions will nearly always result in lower copays for the same quantities of drugs, so using mail order will save you, and the Fund, money. However, mail order prescriptions are generally filled in 90 day supplies, versus the 30 day supply that is typical at retail pharmacies. Consequently, while copays will only be due on mail order prescriptions every 90 days, those copays will be considerably higher than the copay for a 30 day supply in a retail setting. We recognize that some members with high drug costs may find the more uneven mail order copay schedule burdensome. In order to address this issue, we are pleased to tell you about a new service that is now available.
This program is called “FlexPay” and it offers an optional way of purchasing a 90-day supply of mail-order drugs. FlexPay allows you to divide your normal up-front copay cost for a three-month supply of prescription drugs into three smaller payments.
How does FlexPay work?
Your copay for a 90 day drug supply will be divided into three equal payments. The first payment will be automatically charged to your credit card when the order is shipped. The second payment will be charged on the 15th of the following month (second month). The third payment will be charged on the 15th of the following month (third month).
In order to use FlexPay, your coinsurance must be at least $150 for the mail-order prescription. If it is, the program is available for all mail-order prescriptions. Please note that failure to comply with the payment arrangements could result in a delay of your next orders.
What do I need to do?
Registering could not be simpler. Have a credit card handy when you call CIGNA Customer Service at 1.800.835.3784, and be sure to mention that you are interested in the Equity League FlexPay program. You will be able to sign up right over the phone. Your next mail order will be automatically charged to your card when the order is shipped.
If you have any questions or concerns, or would like more details, please feel free to call CIGNA Customer Service at 1.800.835.3784, or the Fund Office, at 212.869.9380.
