Human Services recently issued notice to members of the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP) and the Medical Assistance Program (MAP) about a major change to their Part D Prescription Drug Plan. As of Jan. 1, 2013, Community Care Rx, the drug program used to administer Part D, will change to the United Healthcare AARP Medicare Rx Preferred Plan, according to a press release issued on Thursday by the V.I. Department of Human Services.
Community Care Rx will no longer be offered in the U.S. Virgin Islands since it was recently purchased by Silver Script, a prescription drug program that did not pursue licensure in the territory. The SPAP and MAP help Medicare beneficiaries with limited economic resources to afford their prescription drugs. The change will impact about 1,500 residents who are enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.
Clients in the MAP are not required to independently pursue prescription coverage from other plans within Medicare. The MAP is in the process of expediting the transfer on behalf of their clients. However, SPAP clients must authorize the V.I. Department of Human Services to make changes to their coverage by Dec. 31. Authorization forms were included with the notice of change issued to clients via mail, but can also be retrieved from the Human Services SPAP office.
Clients should continue to fill prescriptions as usual and will not experience a lapse in the prescription coverage during the transition if authorization is submitted to the office by the suggested date. In the coming weeks, clients will receive information in the mail about their new Part D Prescription Drug Plan that will help them understand their new benefits.