Many Are Disgruntled with State Health Benefit Plan

Teachers and others across the state who subscribe to the state health benefit plan have expressed dissatisfaction with the new plan that took effect January 1.

To begin with, local subscribers received a letter with their new member I.D., naming only CVS Pharmacy as the participating retail pharmacy. Monticello Drugs is also a participating member, and Express-Scripts said it was an oversight that Monticello Drugs was not mentioned. A visit to the website now lists CVS Pharmacy first when 31064 is put in, and Monticello Drugs second. It then lists stores in surrounding towns.

In addition, on the website there is a way to price prescriptions. Although it appears to encourage users to use mail-order, a number of drugs, particularly generic, are cheaper when purchased from the retail store.

In addition, the site shows that the cost to the subscriber may be minimal, but if the subscriber exhausts the funds in his Health Reimbursement Arrangement, then the drug can end up costing the subscriber money.

Also, all drugs classified as “specialty drugs” now must be mail-ordered, or the subscriber must pay the full price.

Some 650,000 employees are affected by the change in the state health benefit plan. On January 2, the wife of a Cherokee County teacher started a Facebook page to voice complaints about the changes. By last Friday afternoon, the page had nearly 5,800 members.

In addition, the governor’s office has been deluged with calls and preparations are under way for a rally against the new plan.

Locally, some subscribers say the Express-Scripts site is difficult to navigate and can be misleading.