Prescription benefit program administered by Caremark

Jan 23, 2006
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:down: I recently had to contact Caremark regarding what I thought was a simple issue. I needed to get a copy of a RX bill with the RX name etc...to get reimbursed through our (Flex Spending Account). :blink: After 8 phone calls, three of which went to supervisors I was thoroughly disgusted with the "attitude" and the replies of "what they can't do" vs "what they will do".
Is this an isolated incident and if not who do we take this issue to?
More importantly, can we get rid of Caremark as we combine the West & East?

BTW, what Company handles the West's prescription coverage?
 
:up: I have used them for several years and it has always been seemless service. One phone call to order and prescriptions arrive in a couple of days. :)
 
Call them back. Remind them that they are required by the federal HIPAA (pronounced hip-a)regulations to release copies of your health related information to you. You may have to fill out a form.

If the supervisor plays dumb or refuses, tell them you want to speak to a pharmacist about your medications. The pharmacist will definitely be familiar with the regs. If need be, tell them you want to talk to their HIPAA officer.

Also, remember that Caremark was hired by your insurer to provide pharmacy services for you. If Caremark is unresponsive, complain to the insurer about the service you are getting from Caremark. They have other contacts at Caremark you won't have access to.
 
I have had problems with caremark from the start thus the reason for the grievence that I filed and that the company is supposed to be paying off on. You will get nowhere talking to them (caremark). Go straight to company benefits, we are self insured and caremark will do what ever the company tells them.
 
I spent 45 mins on hold to tell them they sent me my meds with two different types of pills in one bottle. When they agreed someone erred they sent me a new prescription and told me to send the old one back with no delay. I got the correct one and waited about two weeks to send the incorrect one back. I figured 45 mins of my time should equal 2 weeks of their time....
 
Call them back. Remind them that they are required by the federal HIPAA (pronounced hip-a)regulations to release copies of your health related information to you. You may have to fill out a form.

If the supervisor plays dumb or refuses, tell them you want to speak to a pharmacist about your medications. The pharmacist will definitely be familiar with the regs. If need be, tell them you want to talk to their HIPAA officer.

Also, remember that Caremark was hired by your insurer to provide pharmacy services for you. If Caremark is unresponsive, complain to the insurer about the service you are getting from Caremark. They have other contacts at Caremark you won't have access to.

uh, that would be USAirways. Self insured, and they could care less what you get, when you get it, how you get it, or how much it cost, or that your physician may change the dose while you sit on 90 day medication supply.

U only cares about COST: THERE's

CAREMARK has been grossly late on sending medications to f/as (who fly for a living at least 4-5 days a week). Many f/as were promised their meds only to have them not arrive until they left for their trips and the meds sit outside their apartments or in their mailboxes.

This is not the type of "plan" for folks who leave home for days at a time. THis benefit should be only OPTIONAL for flight crews.

But for U, it was stealing additional unnegotiated cost savings from Labor when they implented this last March 2006 and never told anyone of the changes in prescription filling with the union labor leader or their members in any group.

I have had problems with caremark from the start thus the reason for the grievence that I filed and that the company is supposed to be paying off on. You will get nowhere talking to them (caremark). Go straight to company benefits, we are self insured and caremark will do what ever the company tells them.

Problem is the company doesn't tell them shttt. Why? Cause the co. saves plenty of cash by having CAREMARK do business the way they do business. There is not ONE managment person in benefits that gives a crap...even the VP.
 
I had an issue waiting for a express prescrip for two weeks and charged me the express fee. It took 3 phones calls to get it straightend out. I will say all 3 reps were professional and freindly.
 
What really irked me was I when I was told (after the third phone call in two weeks) that I could register online and print the information myself.
I thought ok, I'll do that. Should be easy right? :blink:
Now if your household is anything like mine there is only one member that does the insurance paperwork,in my house that person happens to be me, the employee.
So off I go and I register myself. I try pulling up the information...nothing. I call back. Next c/s agent said is it for you or your husband, answer "my husband".
"oh, you have to have a different email address for him"
you can't have the same email address" :eek: "Really?"
So, I change my email address and try signing him up again.
Now mind you this is for a frickin receipt.
Nope, won't work.
Call back again.
Their reply. "oh, you have to have a suffix for him after your SS#". "ok, what is it"? she tells me.
Think I'm done? Nope. I run into another snag. I call back again. This time I am telling the next c/s agent who interrupts me and promptly replies that he can't help me sign up my spouse...WHAT?!? My husband has to do it himself!!
He would not answer another question after that.
This was not the end of it either but suffice it to say I was Furious with Caremark by this time. :angry:
All I wanted was a receipt for Pete Sake!
Thank God I don't need something more important than that, like say Insulin. I'd be dead.
 
My wife has major issues and while at U and we had this provider. They did provide the meds required and mostly on time, EXCEPT one issue which remains to this day. They screwed up on billing and (admitted) they were the one who screwed up, this was 2003 and here we are 2006 and I still receive a monthly bill from them for THIER mistake which I stick in my shredder upon taking it out of the mail box. It even went to a collection agency. Now I am receiving two one from Caremark and one from the collection agency and they both get shredded. It’s coming close to the point that the cost of these mailings will surpass the actual bill, it's insanity and glad they are my--- PAST.
 
My wife has major issues and while at U and we had this provider. They did provide the meds required and mostly on time, EXCEPT one issue which remains to this day. They screwed up on billing and (admitted) they were the one who screwed up, this was 2003 and here we are 2006 and I still receive a monthly bill from them for THIER mistake which I stick in my shredder upon taking it out of the mail box. It even went to a collection agency. Now I am receiving two one from Caremark and one from the collection agency and they both get shredded. It’s coming close to the point that the cost of these mailings will surpass the actual bill, it's insanity and glad they are my--- PAST.

In the past, I have been billed twice by Caremark for prescriptions that I have never ordered. They had my debit card number and there went a couple hundred bucks out of my account. The first time, we agreed that they screwed up and they debited my account. The second time, I decided that once was a mistake and twice was fraud. Caremark wanted me to print a statement and fax it to a certain someone and do the maximum amount of leg work for their screw-up. I called my bank and reported them for fraudelent use of my debit card and reported them to Benefits. Got my money back and haven't had problems since. I'd much rather walk down the block to Osco's.