Click on the questions in below to view the answers.
Does Citizens Choice Healthplan (CCHP) HMO
offer Prescription Drug Coverage?
Yes,
CCHP HMO is a Medicare
Advantage Plan with Part D coverage.
CCHP HMO has formed a network of pharmacies. You can use any pharmacy
in our network. The pharmacies in our network can change any time. You can call
our Member Services Department and ask for a current Pharmacy Network List.
What is the cost of prescriptions as a member of Citizens
Choice Healthplan (CCHP) HMO?
Citizens Choice Healthplan (CCHP) HMO offers generic medications at a $0 copayment
and preferred brand name medications at a $20.00 copayment and non-preferred brand
name medications at a $40.00 copayment. We also provide some over-the-counter medications
exclusively for your use. These over the counter drugs are provided at no cost to
you. To find out which drugs our plan covers, refer to your formulary.
If you qualify for additional assistance under the Low Income Subsidy (LIS), you
will pay your LIS copayments. If you go to a pharmacy that is not in our network,
you might have to pay more for your prescriptions. You also might have to follow
special rules before getting your prescription in order for the prescription to
be covered under the plan. For more information about the pharmacy network, please
call our Member Services Department.
Members stay in the Coverage Gap Stage until their out-of-pocket costs reach $4,550.
CMS defines the Coverage Gap Stage as the Part D Drug Benefit where you pay a low
copayment or coinsurance for your drugs after you or other qualified parties on
your behalf have spent $4,550 in covered drugs during the covered year. The Explanation
of Benefits (EOB) that we send to you will help you keep track of how much you and
the plan have spent for your drugs during the year. After you leave the Coverage
Gap Stage, we will continue to provide some prescription drug coverage until your
yearly out-of-pocket costs reach a maximum amount that Medicare has set. In 2010,
that amount is $4,550. All formulary generic drugs are covered through the gap.
until your yearly out-of-pocket drug costs reach $4,550.
Citizens Choice Healthplan (CCHP) HMO has implemented a transition process for those
members who transition into CCHP HMO from other prescription drug coverage (another
Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan - MAPD - or original Medicare and a Prescription
Drug Plan - PDP).
This transition policy applies to all non-formulary drugs (not on the CCHP HMO formulary)
as well as those that are on formulary but require either prior authorization (drugs
that are high cost but have alternate drugs that are lower cost) or step therapy
(drugs that require that you try and fail the utilization of the lower cost equivalent
drugs).
You will be provided with a one-time, temporary supply of the non-formulary drug
in order to meet your immediate needs. This supply will be for 30 days (31 days
if you are transitioning from a long term care facility - LTC).
This one time fill must be requested within the first 90 days of enrollment with
CCHP HMO (for instance, if you became effective with CCHP HMO on May 1, 2007, the member
would be eligible for this transition supply until July 31, 2007 and it must be
request during that time period.
If you are transitioning from a long term care facility (LTC), you may get a one-time
31 day emergency supply of the medication requested while a coverage exception is
being sent by your PCP and processed by CCHP HMO.
If you have questions about this process, please call your Member Services Representative
at 1-866-634-2247, TTY/TDD 1-866-516-9366 between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00
pm., Monday through Sunday, including holidays.
Click
here for the Transition Process program.
Clic
aquí para más información.
There is extra help for people with limited income and resources. Almost 1 in 3
people with Medicare will qualify for extra help and Medicare will pay for almost
all of their prescription drug costs. Medicare may be able to pay your medicare
drug plan costs so that you get your outpatient prescription drugs for little or
no cost.
What is Medicare prescription drug coverage?
Medicare prescription drug coverage is insurance that covers both brand-name and
generic prescription drugs at participating pharmacies in your area. Medicare prescription
drug coverage provides protection for people who have very high drug costs.
Who can get Medicare prescription drug coverage?
Everyone with Medicare is eligible for this coverage, regardless of income and resources,
health status, or current prescription expenses.
When can I get Medicare prescription drug coverage?
You may sign up from November 15,
to December 31,
. If you join by December 31,
, your coverage will start January 1,
, and you won't miss a day of coverage. If you don't sign up for Part D
benefits when you are first eligible or by December 31,
, you may pay a penalty. Your next opportunity for Annual Enrollment Period will
be, November 15,
to December 31,
.
How does Medicare prescription drug coverage work?
Your decision about Medicare prescription drug coverage depends on the kind of health
care coverage you have now. There are two ways to get Medicare prescription drug
coverage.
You can join a Medicare prescription drug plan or you can join a Medicare Advantage
Plan or other Medicare Health Plans that offer drug coverage. Whatever plan you
choose, Medicare drug coverage will help you by covering brand-name and generic
drugs at pharmacies that are convenient for you.
Like other insurance, if you join, you will pay a monthly premium, which varies
by plan, and a yearly deductible. You will also pay a part of the cost of your prescriptions,
including a copayment or coinsurance. Costs will vary depending on which drug plan
you choose. Some plans may offer more coverage and additional drugs for a higher
monthly premium. If you have limited income and resources, and you qualify for extra
help, you may not have to pay a premium or deductible.
Why should I get Medicare prescription drug coverage?
Medicare prescription drug coverage provides greater peace of mind by protecting
you from unexpected drug expenses. Even if you don't use a lot of prescription
drugs now, you should still consider joining. As we age, most people need prescription
drugs to stay healthy. For most people, joining now means protecting yourself from
unexpected prescription drug bills in the future.
Can I fill a prescription outside of Citizens Choice
Healthplan's Network?
Yes, Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO has network pharmacies outside of the service area where you
can get your drugs covered as a member of our plan. Generally, we only cover drugs
filled at an out of network pharmacy in limited circumstances when a network pharmacy
is not available. Before you fill a prescription at an out of network pharmacy,
please
call member services to ask if there is a network
pharmacy available.
What is Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO's process for
reimbursement?
If you must use an out-of-network pharmacy (generally, out of the plan service area)
you will generally have to pay the full cost (rather than paying your normal share
of the cost) when you fill your prescription. You can ask us to reimburse you for
our share of the cost. Send a copy of your receipt to CCHP HMO and ask that your portion
be reimbursed to you.
For more information about reimbursement from the plan, please contact Member Services
or refer to your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) Chapter 7, Section 2.1 for requesting
reimbursement from the plan.
Does Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO cover home infusion
therapy?
Yes, Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO will cover home infusion therapy if:
- Your Prescription Drug is on our Plan formulary
- You have followed all required
coverage rules, and our Plan has approved your prescription for home infusion therapy
-
Your prescription is written by a doctor, and
- You get your home infusion services
from a Plan network pharmacy
Please refer to your
Pharmacy Directory for more
information or
contact member services.
Can Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO's formulary change
at any time?
We may add or remove drugs from the formulary during the year. Changes in the formulary
may affect which drugs are covered and how much you will pay when filling your prescription.
If we remove drugs from the formulary, add prior authorizations, quantity limits
and/or step therapy restrictions on a drug, or move a drug to a higher cost-sharing
tier, and you are taking the drug affected by the change, we will notify you of
the change at least 60 days before the date that the change becomes effective. If
we don't notify you of the change in advance, you will get a 60 day supply of
the drug when you request a refill of the drug. However, if a drug is removed from
our formulary because the drug has been recalled from the market, we will not give
60 days notice before removing the drug from the formulary. Instead, we will remove
the drug from our formulary immediately and notify members about the change as soon
as possible.

Does Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO
offer a Medication Therapy Management program?
Yes, we offer a Medication Therapy Management Program at no cost for our members
who have multiple chronic-medical conditions, who are taking many prescription drugs,
and have high drug costs.
This program was developed for us by a team of pharmacists and doctors. We utilize
this program to provide better services to our members. For example, this program
allows CCHP (HMO) to verify that members are receiving medications according to
their medical conditions. The Program also seeks to identify any possible medication
interaction, duplication of therapy, and confirm that dosages are according to appropriate
prescribing standards. At the same time, when we identify medications with a lower
cost available, we communicate this availability to your doctor in order to save
you on your expenses.
We offer the Medication Therapy Management Program to members who meet certain criteria.
Starting in 2010, members who meet the criteria will automatically be enrolled in
the program. Remember, there is no cost for members to participate in the Medication
Therapy Management Program. Members who decline to participate can write or call
to inform CCHP (HMO) of their decision.
Click
here for the MTMP program.
Clic
aquí para más información.

Does Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO
require prior authorization for specific prescriptions?
For certain prescription drugs, we have additional requirements for coverage or
limits on our coverage. These requirements and limits ensure that our members use
these drugs in the most effective way and also help us control drug plan costs.
A team of doctors and pharmacists developed these requirements and limits for our
Plan to help us to provide quality coverage to our members. We require you to get
prior authorization for certain drugs. This means that your PCP or specialist will
need to get approval from us before you fill your prescription. If they don't
get approval, we may not cover the drug.
Download a Prior Authorization Form by clicking the button below:
Does Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO
cover non-formulary medications?
If your prescription is not listed on the formulary, you should first contact Member
Services to be sure it is not covered. If Member Services confirms that we do not
cover your drug, you have three options:
- You can ask your doctor if you can switch to another drug that is covered by us.
If you would like to give your doctor a list of covered drugs that are used to treat
similar medical conditions, please contact Member Services.
- You can ask us to make an exception for us to cover your drug.
Download a non-formulary medication request form to take to your PCP or Specialist
by clicking the button below:
- You can pay out-of-pocket for the drug and request that the plan reimburse you by
means of an exceptions request. This does not obligate the plan to reimburse you
if the exception request is not approved.
Does Citizens Choice Healthplan HMO
allow Prescription Coverage Determinations?
The first decision made by a plan regarding the prescription drug benefits an enrollee
is entitled to receive under the plan, including a decision not to provide or pay
for a Part D drug, a decision concerning an exception request, and a decision on
the amount of cost sharing for a drug.
CVS Caremark is the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), for Citizens Choice Healthplan
HMO. CVS Caremark has over 6,000 pharmacies statewide for you to choose from, including
the large chain retail pharmacies as well as local community pharmacies. If you
would like more information on CVS Caremark click below.
If you would like to order a 90 day supply of your prescription drug(s), click here
for our mail order forms.