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Resources for members affected by Hurricane Helene

Our thoughts go out to all those affected by Hurricane Helene. APWU Health Plan has altered our benefits for members in both the High Option and Consumer Driven Option in the affected areas.

Altered benefits include relaxed precertification requirements for all types of care (medical and mental health), and we will make payment at the higher PPO rate to any provider of service regardless of their non-network status for a designated period of time.

Access healthcare through telehealth Virtual Visits

APWU Health Plan members have telehealth options available for medical and mental health issues through our designated telehealth vendors:

High Option members

Consumer Driven Option members

Free help line offers emotional support resources

For all affected areas, UnitedHealthcare remains committed to supporting its customers and their employees’ emotional well-being in times of tragedy.

Resources and support are available to help individuals directly and indirectly affected by the storm. The UnitedHealthcare public support line will be open for two weeks following Hurricane Helene.

1-866-447-3573
Monday – Friday
8 am – 8 pm CT

In addition, Optum Wellbeing is a public website where members can access resources to help navigate difficult situations. The critical support center includes a library of content for individuals to access during critical events, grouped by topic (trauma, natural disasters, etc.).

Optum Wellbeing(external link)

Prescription drug coverage changes effective 9/26–10/27/2024

We also have extensive prescription drug provisions with Express Scripts (High Option members) and OptumRx (Consumer Driven Option and the Medicare Advantage plan members) to allow for "refill too soon" edits to be bypassed in order for members to obtain prescription drugs if they have been damaged or lost.

  • Health Plan members who reside in the affected areas, with designated zip codes, will be able to obtain a 30-day supply of their prescription drugs at a network retail pharmacy—at retail copay/coinsurance during the designated timeframes.
  • Pharmacists have the ability to override the "refill too soon" edits for members who indicate they have lost their prescriptions.
  • Paper claims submitted by members residing in the affected zip code areas for dates that fall within the designated timeframes will be identified in our data entry department prior to entry into ESD and sent hard copy to the Multiple Coverage Unit to be processed at the normal retail copay.
  • Express Scripts by Mail will hold shipments of narcotics and temperature-sensitive medications into impacted areas pending member contact.
  • Mail orders can be shipped to a temporary alternate address. Members should call Express Scripts customer service at 1-800-841-2734 (this number is also on the back of your ID card) and request the order be mailed to a temporary address. This applies to new orders, refills of existing prescriptions on file with Express Scripts and, in some instances, orders already placed.
  • If a member is unable to receive an order by mail, Express Scripts can transfer the prescription to a retail pharmacy for dispensing. Express Scripts Pharmacy Services at 1-800-922-1557 can assist the local pharmacist in processing the prescription, if necessary.
  • Doctor calls and drug utilization review (DUR) calls will continue and every effort will be made to complete these calls. Orders will not be cancelled and returned unfilled to the member. Express Scripts pharmacies are holding these orders in-house until the member/prescriber has been reached.

UnitedHealthcare will follow the same guidelines that the High Option has set out utilizing their network, telehealth vendors, pharmacy benefit manager, and benefit structure. The EOB message for payment of out-of-network claims at the in-network benefit level will be "in-network coinsurance applied," since there are no copays under the Consumer Driven Option.



UnitedHealthcare extends service

UnitedHealthcare’s priority is making sure you have immediate and easy access to the care you need. In compliance with CMS provisions, we have taken the following actions as part of our commitment to helping group retiree members, customers, care providers, and employees in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, including:

  • Alabama: Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, De Kalb, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lee, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa, Washington
  • Florida: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Desoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Saint Johns, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
  • Georgia: Statewide
  • North Carolina: Statewide
  • South Carolina: Statewide
  • Tennessee: Statewide
  • Virginia: Statewide

We will continue to review the need to offer this support.

Access to care

Members who may have been displaced from their homes or whose network provider or medical facility is inaccessible can access care anywhere, as needed, and it will be covered at their in-network benefit level.

For Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare is also providing flexibility around facility-to-facility transfers and admission or transfer to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Prescription medications

Members who need help obtaining early prescription refills may work with their pharmacy who can obtain an override on their behalf, or they can contact the Customer Care number on the back of their ID card.

For mail-order delivery service to affected areas or any other questions related to their prescriptions, members can contact the pharmacy number on the back of their ID card and discuss their situation for assistance, obtaining a local supply, if necessary, and more.

Additional assistance

Members can call the Customer Care number on the back of their medical ID card, if they need additional assistance.

If you have misplaced your medical ID card, call:

1-866-633-2446
8 am – 8 pm (local time)
Monday – Friday

To request a new ID card and print a temporary ID card to use while waiting for your new ID card to arrive, visit retiree.uhc.com.

Access emotional support resources

Live and Work Well offers emotional support resources and information online.

Live and Work Well(external link)