Prescription drug program
Prescription drug program information for the ExxonMobil Retiree Medical Plan - Aetna POS II A and B options
The Plan contains a prescription drug program that offers you two cost-saving ways to buy outpatient prescription drugs. You may buy your prescriptions through:
- A network of local participating retail pharmacies for short-term prescriptions.
- Express Scripts Pharmacy, and participating Smart90 retail pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS) the home delivery pharmacy for long-term or maintenance prescriptions.
- Express Scripts Specialty Pharmacy, Accredo, for prescriptions requiring special handling.
Please note, a dose or doses of prescription medication or injections given at the time of treatment in a doctor’s office is covered under the POS II Medical Plan as a part of the medical service rendered. Self-administered or take home use prescription medication may be covered under your prescription drug benefit and you must submit claims separately to Express Scripts for reimbursement.
Refer to the Summary of Benefits for details on the costs per prescription
Short-term prescriptions
A short-term prescription is written for a drug taken for a limited period of time, such as an antibiotic for a specific illness. The Plan generally provides benefits for up to a 34-day supply. See Special provisions for more information.
You have the choice of filling your prescriptions at:
- A local in-network retail pharmacy (part of Express Scripts' extensive network of pharmacies), where you will pay your share of the discounted cost, and there are no claims to file.
- A non-network retail pharmacy of your choice, where you will pay the full price and file a claim for partial reimbursement of the cost.
The in-network retail network pharmacy
You may call Express Scripts, check the Express Scripts website (www.express-scripts.com), or use the Express Scripts mobile app to locate an in-network retail pharmacy near you. When you fill a prescription, you must identify yourself as a member of Express Scripts’ retail pharmacy program to maximize your savings.
Retail refill limitation
For the third and subsequent refills of a long-term or maintenance drug, which is a drug you take for an extended period of time, such as for ongoing treatment of diabetes, arthritis, a heart condition or blood pressure, you will pay an additional 25% copayment. The additional 25% copayment does not apply to your annual prescription drug out-of-pocket maximum.
How to obtain your prescription or a refill
- Refills can be obtained if prescribed and needed. You must have generally used 75% of the previous prescription, based on the dosage prescribed, before you can refill and receive plan benefits.
- To receive the discounted price, present your prescription and either your prescription drug identification card or the primary participant's identification number at an in-networknetwork retail pharmacy. See the definition for primary participant.
- The pharmacist enters the prescription and the primary participant's Social Security number or ID number into the pharmacy's computer system to confirm:
- That the participant or family member is covered,
- That it is a covered prescription, and
- The prescription's cost share.
- No claim filing is necessary.
The term Primary Participant refers to the participant whose identification number is used. The primary participant is the retiree or survivor, or individual who elected COBRA coverage. Covered family members use the primary participant's identification number to access all medical benefits. Be sure to give identification cards or the primary participant's identification number to your spouse and any covered family members who may live away from home.
Note: Family members who elect COBRA coverage must use their identification number after the date they enroll as a COBRA participant.
Using a Non-Network Pharmacy or Not Showing Your Express Scripts or Medco ID Card
You are not eligible for a discounted price if you have your prescription filled at a non-network retail pharmacy or fail to show your prescription drug ID card at a in-network retail pharmacy. You may print out a temporary ID card if you have registered for access to your personal account on the Express Scripts website at www.express-scripts.com.
- You pay the full price of the prescription at the time of purchase.
- You must submit a completed Direct Reimbursement Claim Form to Express Scripts within two years following purchase. You may obtain a claim form by accessing the ExxonMobil Family Internet site or by contacting Express Scripts at the number shown in the front of this SPD.
- You will be responsible for:
- 100% of the difference between the non-discounted and the discounted cost of the prescription (the ineligible cost),
PLUS - Your percentage copayment portion of the discounted cost.
Long-term prescriptions
A long-term or maintenance drug is one you take for an extended period of time, such as for ongoing treatment of diabetes, arthritis, a heart condition or blood pressure. The Plan generally provides benefits for up to a 90-day supply. See Special provisions for more information.
How to get started with Express Scripts Pharmacy
If you need maintenance medication immediately, ask your doctor for two prescriptions — one for an immediate supply to be filled at a local retail pharmacy and a second for an extended supply to be ordered through the home delivery pharmacy. You can also fill maintenance medications at a Smart90 retail pharmacy (Walgreens, CVS).
Home delivery pharmacy prescriptions
With Express Scripts Pharmacy, you save money and have the convenience of home delivery. Ask the doctor to write a prescription for up to a 90-day supply with appropriate refills. Enclose your original prescription(s) and payment of your percentage copayment in an envelope. If you are paying by check or money order, you may obtain a calculation of your percentage copayment from the Express Scripts Web site or by calling Express Scripts directly. If you are paying by credit card, Express Scripts will deduct the appropriate percentage copayment and you will receive notification of the deduction with your medication. Your prescription will be delivered to the address on your order form within 14 working days. By law, prescriptions may not be sent outside the U.S.
You may order refills by calling Express Scripts or sending in the refill label provided with your previous order. You may also order refills through Express Scripts’ web site. You should order a refill about three weeks before your current supply will be exhausted, but remember that you must have generally used 75% of the previous prescription based on the prescribed dosage.
Whether you fill prescriptions through Express Scripts Pharmacy or at a local retail pharmacy:
- Your payments and copayments under the outpatient prescription drug benefits do not apply toward your deductible for other benefits under the Plan.
- Your prescription drug payments and copayments do not apply toward your annual medical out-of-pocket limit.
- Your prescription drugs annual out-of-pocket maximum is $2,500 for each individual in your family, or $5,000 for your entire family.
- The additional cost for purchasing brand-name prescription drugs when a generic is available, as well as the full cost for purchasing subsequent refills of maintenance medication after the third fill obtained at retail pharmacies that are not part of the Smart90 network (Walgreens, CVS), will not count toward your annual out-of-pocket maximum.
Comparing retail pharmacy with Express Scripts Pharmacy
This example shows how you can save money by purchasing long-term medications through either the Express Scripts home delivery, or a Smart90 retail pharmacy.
At a in-network Retail Pharmacy |
|
Through Express Scripts, or Smart90 retail pharmacy |
||
$108.00 |
Cost of formulary preferred brand name drug (30-day supply) |
|
$324.00 |
Cost of formulary preferred brand name drug (90-day supply) |
x 30% |
Percentage copayment |
x 25% |
Percentage copayment |
|
$32.40 |
Your copayment |
$81.00 |
Your copayment |
|
You pay $32.40, or $97.20 for 3 purchases. |
You pay $81.00 |
By purchasing a 90-day supply of this prescription through home delivery, you would save $16.20. That is $64.80 a year for one prescription. Note: This example does not include in the calculation the additional 25% copayment for the third and any subsequent refills from a participating retail pharmacy. Actual savings may be greater..
Covered prescriptions
The prescription drug program covers drugs, medicines, and supplies that are:
- Obtainable only with a physician's prescription or are specifically covered expenses (see Covered expenses),
- Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the specific diagnosis,
- Medically necessary, and
- Not experimental or investigational.
Generic drugs
The program encourages consideration of generic alternatives, which are less expensive to you and the Plan. About half of all brand name medications have a generic equivalent available. By law, the brand name and generic medications must meet the same standards for safety, purity, strength and effectiveness. The pharmacist will dispense only generics that receive FDA approval and only if authorized by your doctor.
Note: If both generic and brand name drugs are available to treat your condition, your percentage copayment amount will depend on which medication you select.
If you purchase the brand name drug, you are responsible for paying the generic drug percentage copayment PLUS the full difference in cost between the generic drug and the brand name drug. This difference in cost will not count toward your annual prescription drug out-of-pocket maximum.
Here is an example from the POS II B option of how you can save by choosing a generic drug at a retail pharmacy when a brand-name drug is available on the Plan's formulary list of medications.
|
Generic |
Brand |
Prescription cost |
$ 50.00 |
$ 200.00 |
Copayment (30% of the cost of generic drug) |
$ 15.00 |
$ 15.00 |
Difference in cost with available generic* |
$ 0.00 |
$ 150.00 |
Total cost |
$ 15.00 |
$ 165.00 |
If you purchase the brand name drug:
- Your copayment will be $15 + $150 (difference in cost) = $165
- The additional $150 does not count toward your annual prescription drug out-of-pocket maximum.
Available alternatives
Sometimes, a generic drug or a less expensive brand name drug which provides the same therapeutic effect at a lower cost to you may be available. If so, the network system will inform the pharmacist that a less expensive alternative medication is available to fill your prescription. A pharmacist from the network or Express Scripts Pharmacy may contact your doctor to discuss the generic or less expensive brand name alternative. If the doctor authorizes a substitution, the pharmacist will dispense it based solely on your doctor's agreement. If Express Scripts Pharmacy fills a prescription with a generic or an alternative brand name drug, your order will include an explanation of the doctor's change and a credit for any excess percentage copayment.
The network formulary program
A formulary is a list of commonly prescribed medications within particular therapeutic categories. The drugs on the list have been selected based on their effectiveness and cost.
To be included in the formulary list, a drug must meet rigorous standards of approval by the Express Scripts Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee — a group of nationally recognized medical professionals.
It is always up to your doctor to decide which medications to prescribe. If you have questions about the Express Scripts formulary, you should contact Express Scripts directly.
Drug monitoring service
All prescriptions, both home delivery and retail, are screened by the network's computerized drug monitoring service. This service analyzes all of your prescriptions in the system for potential problems such as adverse drug interactions, drug duplications, and unusually high or low dosages. This monitoring service may also detect if a refill is requested too soon. If a potential problem is detected, the drug monitoring service transmits a message to the pharmacist.
The pharmacist will contact your doctor about the potential problem or otherwise resolve the issue before dispensing the prescription.
Your doctor makes the final decision about any change in your prescription or course of treatment.
Special provisions
In most cases, the pharmacist will fill the prescription according to the doctor's written orders. However, there are some limitations:
- If the prescription is written for an amount that is greater than the Plan covers, the pharmacist will fill the prescription up to the Plan limit. You have the option of buying the additional amount at that time if purchasing at a retail pharmacy, but there is no Plan benefit.
- If the medicine is a controlled substance or if there is a manufacturer's or prescription benefit manager's directive, a smaller amount may be provided.
- For most prescriptions, you must have used at least 75% of the previous prescription, based on the dosage prescribed, before you can obtain a refill and receive Plan benefits.
- During natural disasters, you may be able to replace lost or damaged medications without having used 75% of the previous prescription.
Specialty medications
Specialty medications, including injectables and infusions for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, require special handling and may be administered in a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, or in your home. Some specialty medications, like most oncology drugs administered in a hospital setting, are covered under the medical benefit administered by Aetna. Other specialty medications are covered under the prescription drug program administered by Express Scripts. If you have questions about starting a specialty medication, call Aetna member services and ask to speak to a Health Advocate nurse.
Specialty medications administered by Express Scripts are filled through their specialty pharmacy, Accredo, and can be delivered to hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, or to a home health care provider. Although the percentage copayments and maximum per prescription for specialty drugs are generally the same as for brand name drugs, higher copayments may be charged for certain preferred specialty medications determined to be non-essential health benefits. However, many of these medications may be available at no cost when purchased through the Plan’s copay assistance program. If the specialty medication being purchased qualifies for copay assistance and is included in the drug list linked here, you will be contacted by a pharmacist from the Accredo specialty pharmacy and asked to enroll in the program. If you choose not to enroll in the program, a 30% coinsurance with no maximum will apply, and any amount you pay will not count towards your Deductible or Out-of-Pocket Maximums.
Advanced Utilization Management
In some cases, you may be required to try one or more specified drugs to treat a particular medical condition before the Plan will cover another (usually more expensive) drug. Prior authorization and preferred drug step therapy rules are designed to encourage the use of effective, lower-cost drugs.
As part of Express Scripts’ Advanced Utilization Management (AUM) program, certain targeted drugs will not be covered unless precertified by Express Scripts, based on medical evidence submitted by your physician. In addition, some therapies will be monitored for appropriate pharmacogenomic parameters, and oral oncology medications will be limited to ensure appropriate use. Please visit www.express-scripts.com to more information about your medications and if they require a coverage review. If you have a question regarding a drug on the AUM program list, contact Express Scripts at the number listed in the Information Sources section of this SPD.
Preferred drug step therapy rules
Preferred drug step therapy rules are used for certain therapeutic classes of drugs, to encourage the use of effective, lower-cost drugs initially by excluding some targeted medications from coverage unless prior authorization is provided by Express Scripts. Therapeutic classes include: proton pump inhibitors, sleep agents, depression, osteoporosis, respiratory, cardiovascular, triptans, glaucoma, diabetes, respiratory allergy/asthma, anti-inflammatory and rheumatoid arthritis, growth hormone, stimulants for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), prostate therapy drugs, topical steroids, and stroke prevention. Non-targeted drugs will be covered without such authorization and will continue to be dispensed with no further action by either you or the prescribing physician. If you have a question regarding a drug in any of these therapeutic classes, contact Express Scripts to determine whether your drug is covered. You will be notified directly by Express Scripts if you are affected by these rules.
Prior authorization rules
Prior authorization rules apply to certain therapeutic classes of drugs; therapies in this section will be monitored for appropriate use, including pharmacogenomics parameters in some cases. These classes include miscellaneous immunological agents, central nervous system/miscellaneous neurological therapy, biotechnology/adjunctive cancer therapy, central nervous system/headache therapy, central nervous system/analgesics, neurology/miscellaneous psychotherapeutic agents, and miscellaneous pulmonary agents. In addition, anabolic steroids, high cost antibiotics, anti-emetics, antivirals, narcotics, acne dermatologicals and topical pain medications may trigger a prior authorization. Oral oncology medications will also be limited to ensure appropriate use. Certain drugs within each chapter as determined by Express Scripts will only be covered to the extent they are authorized by Express Scripts. If you have a question regarding coverage for a drug in any of these therapeutic classes, contact Express Scripts. You will be notified directly by Express Scripts if you are affected by these rules.
Therapeutic Resource Centers
Plan participants and their physicians may receive outreach calls from Express Scripts Therapeutic Resource Center (TRC) pharmacists or healthcare specialists to offer personal over-the-phone guidance as well as other health management tools. You can also ask to speak to a TRC pharmacy specialist when you call Express Scripts.
Split-fill program
Express Scripts' split fill program applies to certain select specialty conditions where participants often stop or change therapy early in treatment due to side effects or their ability to tolerate treatment. This program will provide smaller initial fills (15-day supply) and clinical support to participants as they begin their therapy. Coinsurance and the per prescription maximum will be applied on a prorated basis so that the participant will not be disadvantaged financially. This program is designed to help manage side-effects, eliminate wasted medications and manage specialty drug costs.
When a prescription drug becomes available over the counter
When a prescription medication becomes available over the counter so that it can be purchased without a prescription (at the same strength and for the same use), it will no longer be covered under the Prescription Drug Program. In addition, other drugs in the same therapeutic class may be excluded from the program, but this determination will be made on a case-by-case basis, based on clinical data available at that time.
Coordinating benefits for prescriptions
The Medical Plan coordinates benefits with any other group medical plan under which you or your family members are covered, which is described in more detail in Coordination of benefits in the Payments section of this SPD. This information is provided to the prescription drug network.