BCBS Copay Waiver Not Applicable to Duke's Health Plans
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently announced that it would be waiving copayments for members who fill a generic drug prescription from February through
December of 2006.
This waiver does not apply to those covered by Duke's pharmacy plan. While two of Duke's health care plans - Blue Care and Duke Options - are offered by BCBS, pharmacy benefits are provided through Medco Health for all participants covered by any of Duke's four health plans, rather than through BCBS.
Requesting a generic prescription, when available, is one of the best ways to reduce pharmacy cost. The 2006 co-pay for generic drugs for those covered by any of Duke's health plans is $10, compared to $35 for formulary and $50 for non-formulary. Currently, about half the drugs on the market are available in generic form.
Duke participants can also save on prescription drug cost by using home
delivery, which provides a 90-day supply for less than the retail cost. Simple
instructions for submitting mail order prescriptions are available on the
Health Benefits Web Site or by calling Medco Health at 1-800-717-6575.
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