Public Employee Press

Health and Security Plan News

Prescription plan's mail-order office to move Nov 19

Members' mail-order prescriptions will be filled at a new facility after Nov. 19, when the current Innoviant facility closes.

For members and retirees who use the mail-order service, the change should be seamless, said Cynthia Chin-Marshall, administrator of the DC 37 Health & Security Plan.

New mail-order prescriptions and those with refills on file as of Nov. 19 will be transferred to a facility of Prescription Solutions, the prescription benefit manager of UnitedHealthcare, which bought Innoviant in 2008.

Recently, Innoviant informed DC 37 members and retirees about the new facility. The mailing included a prescription reorder form that can be used for new mail orders or refill requests. Participants can also order refills at the 800 number in the letter or by visiting www.PrescriptionSolutions.com

You can also check on the status of your mail order at this site. When using the mail-order service, you will have access to pharmacists 24/7 at the 800 number. The mail-order service will also provide consumer health education through Prescription Solutions' health news affiliate, MyOptumHealth.com

Health plan reopener Nov. 1-30

Sick of your health-care plan?

City employees can change their coverage during a fall transfer period every year. Retirees - who can only switch in even-numbered years - may also take advantage of the Nov. 1-30 transfer period this year. (Retirees may also exercise a once-in-a-lifetime transfer in odd years.)

Enrollment in new plans is effective in the first payroll period of 2011 for employees and on Jan. 1, 2011, for retirees.

To learn more about the transfer period and the health-care plans offered by the city, visit the Office of Labor Relations Web site at www.nyc.gov/html/olr and click on "Health Benefits Program," call OLR at 212-306-7200 or visit OLR at 40 Rector St. in Lower Manhattan.

Coverage of dependents to age 26

The provision of the federal health care law extending coverage to millions of dependents up to the age of 26 took effect Sept. 23.

Under the reform law, the extended coverage in the DC 37 Health & Security Plan and the New York City Benefit Program will start in the new fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011.

The DC 37 Health and Security Plan plans to publicize how members and retirees will be affected by the new law as the federal government rolls out provisions in coming months. The plan will provide more details about dependent care coverage before the new benefit is implemented next July.