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To:  IPA Members                From:  John Covello                              8/14/06

State Trying to Force Mandatory Rx Mail Order for State Health Benefits

Plan

The New Jersey Health Benefits Commission (SHBC) late last week unveiled a proposal to dramatically change the State Health Benefits Plan’s (SHBP) prescription drug coverage program in ways that will be detrimental to all pharmacy owners.

 Under the guise of controlling benefit costs, the SHBP is proposing that all SHBP participants not only be required to use available generic drugs, but also REQUIRE their MANDATORY use of mail order prescriptions for certain drugs.  To make matters worse, this proposal (the details of which are not yet available) will be considered by the State Health Benefits Commission at a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 15^th at 10 a.m.  If adopted, this mandatory mail order prescription fiat will go into effect October 1^st.

Working with other pharmacy owner organizations and public employee union groups, IPA’s Legislative Division is working hard to at least postpone this hasty action which is being pushed outside of the normal labor contract negotiation process  (the current state labor contract expires next July 1^st).

 It is urgent that Governor Corzine’s office hears from you today about how it is unfair to rush this plan to approval without any real public input, that it will be devastating to independently-owned, community based pharmacies, it will not save the state any money and it will only benefit out-of-state mail order companies.

                                                             DON’T DELAY!

CALL GOVERNOR CORZINE’S OFFICE TODAY (609) 292-6000!!

 Ask to speak to a staff member to voice your opposition to this special meeting and to go on record against mandatory mail order.  You can also fax your opposition to the Governor at (609) 292-3454. 

 Either way, please make sure the Governor knows that as a pharmacy owner you oppose the State Health Benefits Commission imposing mandatory mail order for prescriptions before tomorrow morning’s special meeting!!

If you have any questions, please contact John Covello at 800-575-2667.