State Health Plan Prescription Clarification
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) recently announced plans to waive copayments for generic medications that treat congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes through the “Medication Dedication” medication adherence program.
The current BCBSNC program is available only to members who have pharmacy benefits through BCBSNC. The State Health Plan does not have pharmacy benefits through BCBSNC and is not participating in this program.
While the State Health Plan is fully supportive of cost saving programs of this nature, the significant upfront investment in another generic copay waiver program has not been planned. We will evaluate the results of such programs and determine at a later date whether they remain in the best interests of our members and the taxpayers of North Carolina.
From January 1 to March 31, 2007, the State Health Plan offered members a highly successful copayment waiver for all generic drugs. Members were very pleased with this program and the cost savings that they experienced—along with, in many cases, a long-term transition to generics. We will continue to evaluate a range of opportunities that promote affordability and cost-savings for our members.
