SPLIT TAB PROGRAM DISCONTINUED

For those of you used to splitting tablets to save on your prescription costs, please be aware that ODS has recently discontinued this program.  The program was originally developed as a cost-savings incentive program for members, but many of the brand medications included in the program have come out with generic products, which has decreased the cost savings available.  In addition, clinical reviews by ODS showed that dosing could be inconsistent due to problems with splitting the tablets, and that some members were experiencing disruptions in therapy.

If you are interested in finding generic or preferred brand alternatives to your medication, you should speak to your physician.  If you have questions about your prescription, please call ODS Pharmacy Customer Service at 1-866-923-0411.

MONTHLY PREMIUM PAYMENTS

Please remember that our premium payments are charged at the end of the month for benefits already received.  Thus, the February 28 paychecks and the March 5 ACH withdrawals (the automatic payments some of you have set up to come directly out of your bank account) reflect charges for February benefits.

If you are on tiered rates (licensed retirees and substitutes) and you drop a dependent from your coverage effective June 1, you will not see the change in premium payment until your June 30 paycheck or your July 5 ACH withdrawal, which is when you pay for your June benefits.

Similarly, if you add a dependent to your coverage effective April 1, you will not see the charges for that dependent until your April 30 paycheck or your May 5 ACH withdrawal.

If you are a retiree and begin your Medicare coverage on May 1, you’ll have your final ACH withdrawal on May 5, which will pay for your April benefits.

QUALIFIED STATUS CHANGES & INSURANCE COVERAGE

Our OEBB/ODS coverage specifies that any qualifying event – marriage (if legally recognized in Oregon), birth or adoption of a child, domestic partnership declaration, etc. – allows you to add dependents to your insurance plan within 31 days of the event.  If you miss this qualifying event window, your new dependent(s) will be ineligible for 4J insurance coverage until the next open enrollment period (fall of 2009).

To add dependents to your plan outside of the open enrollment period, you must submit an Enrollment and Change form to the 4J Employee Benefits Office (EBO) within 31 days of the qualifying event.  If your qualifying event is a declaration of domestic partnership, you will need to submit an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership as well.

It is also your responsibility to let the EBO know if you are removing dependents from your coverage.  To remove children under 26 who get married or are no longer financially dependent, or to remove a former spouse or domestic partner, submit an Enrollment and Change form to the EBO to let them know of the change.

If you add a dependent to your coverage, the coverage will start the first of the month following the qualifying event.  For example, if you get married on March 23, coverage for your newly acquired dependent(s) will begin April 1.

Similarly, if you drop a dependent from your coverage, the dependent will remain on your plan until the first of the month following the qualified status change. If you are a retiree or a substitute teacher in this scenario, you won’t see a change in your rates until your April 30 paycheck or your May 5 ACH withdrawal.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL ID CARDS

In an emergency situation, you may be unconscious, in shock, or otherwise unable to provide vital information about your health.  Carrying a medical ID card in your wallet could give health care providers access to valuable information about your health, medications you take, and who to contact on your behalf.

A medical ID card is easy to make using your computer.  (If you are able to open a Microsoft Word document, I would be happy share my sample template, which you can personalize – just send me an e-mail and I’ll send it to you.)  Your card should contain the following information:

•    name
•    address and phone
•    date of birth
•    emergency contact(s)’ name and phone
•    physician’s name and phone
•    blood type
•    existing medical conditions
•    allergies
•    current medications

If you’d prefer not to create your own card, you can run a search and find several websites to get you started.  While most of these sites claim they do not store your personal information, enter your individual medical profile at your own risk.    http://medids.com/free-id.php is one site that allows you to print blank cards, which you can then fill in by hand.  

On a related note, if you are a 4J Wellness Clinic patient, the next time you are in for an appointment, you can ask the clinic staff to print you a wallet size medication list.

Tuck your medical ID card into your wallet behind your driver’s license, and you’ll be prepared to provide potentially life-saving personal information in an emergency.

NUTRITION POP QUIZ

True or False:  Honey and brown sugar are more healthful than table sugar.

Answer
False.  According to the UC Berkeley Wellness letter, sugar is sugar, and no form of it offers significant nutritional advantages.  Brown sugar is white sugar with a little molasses for coloring.  Honey is sweeter than table sugar, but any additional nutrients in it are insignificant.

ANSWERS FROM THE EXPERTS

Is a specific service covered?  Call ODS Customer Service at 1-866-923-0409.

What’s the rule? (mid-year changes, dependents, etc.)  Call OEBB at 1-888-469-6322.

ELECTRONIC DELIVERY

If you are a retiree who is still receiving a paper copy of this newsletter and would like to change to an electronic format, please send me an e-mail from the address to which you would like your newsletter delivered.  That e-mail can be sent to wenzl@4j.lane.edu

Thanks to all who have already made the switch, which saves both paper and postage!