The Pioneer Times

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Healthcare

Media Credit: http://www.bollingerschools.com/wmpat/id.aspx

Some William Paterson University students are not aware that $127 of their tuition money goes towards a full year of health insurance. This fee is not part of the Health and Wellness Center fee, but a separate one. Bollinger Insurance, used by many universities in New Jersey such as Rowan University, Montclair State University, and Ramapo College, also comes with a Caremark prescription plan.

According to Heidi O., a representative of Caremark (due to company policy, representatives are not permitted to give their last names), the university's prescription plan covers all types of prescription medication, from antibiotics and allergy medication, to birth control and vitamins; however, there are limitations on certain categories such as migraine and antidepressants. For a strong type of migraine medicine, a patient may only be allowed six pills every 25 days. Another limitation for medicines like antidepressants is the possibilty that under the insurance policy a pharmacist might need prior authorization from the state. During this process, a pharmacist will have to obtain additional information from the patient's doctor to report back to the insurance company in order to be granted authorization.

When asked if Caremark has the same deal with each school it covers, Heidi explained that every school might have a different contract depending on the cost and the number of people involved.

Under the Caremark prescription plan provided by Bollinger Insurance, brand name prescriptions are $10, and generic prescriptions are $3. Generic medications contain the same ingredients and brand names, but are from a different manufacturer and are cheaper in cost. For example Celecoxib is the generic version of Celebrex. Caremark automatically gives their patients the generic version unless instructed otherwise by the patient's doctor.

Ted Pomarico, a pharmacist who runs his own business in Jersey City, says that good prescription plans are hard to come by.

"Generally, those with professions such as firefighters, Police Officers, and those who work for the Board of Education get good plans from their job," said Pomarico. "With a company like Bollinger Insurance that provides health insurance and prescription plans for schools, it depends on the plan and contract the company has with the school do determine what is covered, and prices of medicine."

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