MI-SERA

Chair Talk

May 2018

By Bob Kopasz

Below is the information I received from Bethany Beauchine, Director of Employee Benefits.

Effective date is 1/1/2018

Here is the documentation we received from OptumRx (if you have any questions, just let me know):

Select Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs will be covered at $0 cost-share under new ACA regulations:

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends low- to moderate-dose intensity statins be provided for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals at high risk. As a result, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will require statins to be covered at $0 cost-share for members who meet specific coverage criteria:

Being age 40-75 and
Having one or more cardiovascular risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, or smoking, and
Having a calculated 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event of 10% or greater. This will require universal lipid screening for this age group.

Since the ACA allows medical management, not all statins will be covered at zero cost-share and coverage is summarized in the table below. Prior authorization will be required (with the exception of lovastatin) to ensure the member is using the medication for primary prevention and has the noted risk factors. For members who do not go through prior authorization, statins will continue to be covered at a current tier.

Statins to be covered at $0 cost-share starting Dec. 1
No Prior Authorization required	lovastatin (generic Mevacor) – All strengths
Prior Authorization required to confirm risk of CVD	atorvastatin (generic Lipitor) 10 & 20 mg* simvastatin (generic Zocor) 5, 10, 20 & 40 mg* *Only these strengths will be available for $0 cost-share.

Editor’s note: Bob Kopasz is Chair of the Michigan SERA Council. He may be reached at P.O. Box 692, Mt. Morris, MI 48458; phone 810/240-8380.

Chair Talk

May 2018

Statins to be covered at $0 cost-share starting Dec. 1