Interruption of Prescription Drug Service in the Service Benefit (Blue Cross Blue Shield) Plan

Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 10:37:34 -0500
To: "USGS Employees"<distribution>
From: "Leila J. McKamey" <lmckamey>
Subject: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Prescription Service


In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 601


MEMORANDUM


To:	    All U.S. Geological Survey Employees

From:      Robert Hosenfeld
	    Personnel Officer
	    
Subject:   Interruption of Prescription Drug Service in the Service 
	    Benefit (Blue Cross Blue Shield) Plan

Supervisors, Managers and Team Leaders:  Please ensure that employees
without access to e-mail receive a copy of this message.

On December 31, 1998, the data processing system which supports the Blue
Cross Blue Shield preferred provider retail pharmacy network erroneously
deleted the enrollment records of most FEHB enrollees.  Enrollees who
attempted to have prescriptions filled on December 31, 1998, were told
there was no record of their enrollment and were given a choice of paying
for the prescription in full or waiting until the system problem was
corrected.  Unfortunately, once the system problem was corrected, the 1999
deductible was in place.

Blue Cross Blue Shield has a record of all rejected prescriptions and has
worked with the Office of Personnel Management to correct the problem.  The
following procedures have been established for those who were affected:

	1.  Enrollees who paid in full for a prescription on December 31, 1998,
will be reimbursed in full.  Send your receipt and enrollment number to:

		Retail Pharmacy Program
		P.O.  Box 52080
		Phoenix, AZ 85072-2080

	2. Enrollees who attempted to purchase a prescription on December 31,
1998, and then paid towards their 1999 deductible by purchasing the
prescription on or after January 1, 1999, should call 1-800-624-5060.  PCS
Health Systems (PCS), which supports the Blue Cross Blue Shield pharmacy
network, will make the appropriate adjustment to your 1999 account and send
reimbursement for out of pocket expenses.

	3.  Enrollees who attempted to purchase a prescription on December 31,
1998, and have not yet purchased the prescription should request that the
pharmacist contact the PCS and make arrangements for the prescription to be
covered as a 1998 claim.  If this is not possible, the enrollee should pay
for the prescription and follow the procedures outlined in #2 above.

Blue Cross Blue Shield wishes to convey their sincere apologies for any
inconvenience this may have caused.  Their goal is to reimburse enrollees
for any out of pocket expenses incurred because of this problem.  If none
of the scenarios listed above fit your specific circumstances, you may call
1-800-624-5060 for assistance.