Helath Notes

Cut drug costs by half

Beginning October 1, the Empire Plan will offer the Half Tablet Program to help enrollees reduce their out-of-pocket costs for certain medications taken in tablet form.

The Half Tablet Program is completely voluntary. Here’s how it would work:

• Your doctor would write a new prescription for you that’s for medication twice the strength you need. The pills are twice as strong, but the doctor prescribes just half the quantity.

• You would fill the prescription, paying half your usual co-payment.

• You would split each tablet and take half.

The Half Tablet Program targets only those medications the insurer, United HealthCare (UHC), has deemed appropriate for pill-splitting. This includes one of the most widely used drugs by Empire Plan enrollees, Lipitor.

Members who fill a prescription for a medication included in the Half Tablet Program will receive a letter describing the program and instructions on how to participate. Enrollees are instructed to talk to their physicians about whether they are good candidates for the Half Tablet Program. UHC will provide participants with one free tablet splitter.

For more information, call the Empire Plan at 1-877-7NYSHIP and select the prompt for the Prescription Drug Program.

Trade your leave for lower premiums

If you are in pay grade 17 or lower and have vacation or personal leave you are willing to give up, the PS&T contract gives you a way to cash it in. But you must act soon to take advantage of the opportunity.

The Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) allows eligible state PS&T unit employees to exchange previously accrued vacation and personal leave in return for a credit of up to $450 toward their employee share of NYS Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) biweekly premiums.

To participate in PEP for 2009, you must enroll between October 27 and November 28, 2008. Even current PEP enrollees must reapply if they want to participate in 2009.

Most full-time PS&T unit employees who are eligible and choose to participate must exchange three days of leave. However, institution teachers may exchange one, two, or three days of personal leave for credit of $150 per-day and are not subject to the minimum-leave requirement. Eligible part-time employees may participate on a prorated basis.

To participate, you must meet all of the following criteria when you elect to enroll in PEP:

• Be a classified or unclassified service PS&T unit employee in a title at or below salary grade 17 or equated to a position at or below salary grade 17;

• Would still have a combined total of at least eight days of vacation and personal leave after making the exchange; and

• Be enrolled through NYSHIP in either the Empire Plan or an HMO at the time of enrollment.

For more information and to request a PEP enrollment form, contact your agency or worksite’s personnel office.

If you live in Franklin, St. Lawrence or Steuben county you have an additional health care plan from which to choose for 2009.

MVP will expand its service area to include St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. If you live in Steuben County, Preferred Care will be a new option for you to consider.

The Joint Labor-Management Committees on Health Benefits (JLMC) have completed reviewing proposals submitted by HMOs for inclusion or continued participation in the state Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP).

The JLMC approved requests for all of the HMOs currently participating in NYSHIP to continue to be available in 2009.

The JLMC approved the expansion requests from MVP and Preferred Care described above.

Previously, the HMOs were notified the only requests for expansions or new service the JLMC would consider were those that would benefit enrollees in six underserved counties in New York: Chemung, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Schuyler, Steuben and Tompkins.

HMOs making benefit changes for 2009 are Aetna, Independent Health, MVP and Univera. If you are enrolled in one of them, you will be sent a side-by-side benefit comparison of that HMO’s changes by October 24.

Premium rate information for 2009 is not yet available. Please review the rate flyer carefully as HMO premium contributions may increase significantly from one year to the next.

So far, the dates have not been established for the 2008 window to choose your 2009 health plan. When it becomes available, that information will be posted on the PEF Web site under health benefits.