Beginning in August 2021 there will be a couple of changes in pharmacy benefits. These changes will ONLY impact the following individuals:
- Those who use AllianceRx mail order pharmacy for prescriptions, generally for ongoing or maintenance medications
- Those who use AllianceRx specialty pharmacy for specialty medications, specialty medications are generally high-cost injectable drugs with special handling or storage requirements.
There are no changes to pharmacy benefits for medications filled at your local retail pharmacy.
If you or your covered dependents are directly impacted, you will receive a personalized letter mailed to your home address in late June which will include specific instructions in preparation for this change. Please review this information carefully as there are certain actions steps necessary for you to complete.
For mail order prescriptions, please review the following information:
- Prior to August 1, 2021, check your medication supply to ensure you have a sufficient supply on hand to avoid any disruption with this transition. Refills before July 31st will be processed by AllianceRx Walgreens Prime.
- If you have remaining refills, most medications will be transferred to Express Scripts Pharmacy.
- Exceptions include controlled substances, medicines regulated by a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation (REMS) program, prescriptions that are expired, or prescriptions with no refills left after August 1, 2021. For these excluded medications, please ask your doctor to send new prescriptions to Express Scripts Pharmacy on or after August 1, 2021.
- On or after August 1, 2021-
- If you’d like to continue to use the mail order benefit:
- Please setup your Express Scrips Pharmacy digital account using your member ID by going to esrx.com/BCBSTX or by calling 833-715-0942. To protect your privacy there is certain personal and banking information you’ll be asked to complete before your first fill can be processed.
- Let your doctor know that after August 1, they should send new mail order prescription to Express Scripts Pharmacy.
- Or, if you’d like to switch to having your prescriptions filled at your local in-network pharmacy you can ask your doctor to send a new prescription to your preferred location.
- If you’d like to continue to use the mail order benefit:
For specialty medications, please review the following information:
- Prior to August 1, 2021, check your medication supply to ensure you have a sufficient supply on hand to avoid any disruption with this transition. Refills before July 31st will be processed by AllianceRx Walgreens Prime.
- If you have remaining refills, most medications will be transferred to Accredo Pharmacy.
- Exceptions include controlled substances, medicines regulated by a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation (REMS) program, prescriptions that are expired, or prescriptions with no refills left after August 1, 2021. For these excluded medications, please ask your doctor to send new prescriptions to Accredo Pharmacy on or after August 1, 2021.
- On or after August 1, 2021-
- If your AllianceRx Walgreens Prime prescription has refills available as of August 1, 2021, Accredo will call or email you to help you get signed up and ready for your first order. You can also call Accredo at 833-721-1619 starting on August 1, 2021.
- Please setup your Accredo digital account using your member ID by going to accredo.com/BCBSTX or by calling 833-721-1619. To protect your privacy there is certain personal and banking information you’ll be asked to complete before your first fill can be processed.
Questions? If you have active prescriptions at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, stay tuned for member notices with details and other resource tools. As always, you can also call the phone number listed on your Member ID card.
More information from BCBSTX Prime will be mailed to impacted members.
