Frequently asked questions
What is changing in 2024 with Optum Rx as the new pharmacy benefits provider?
For an explanation of the changes, please go to totalrewards.org.
What are maintenance medications?
Any medication you take on a regular basis can be considered a maintenance medication.
These medications are typically used to treat chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
diabetes and asthma. Birth control pills are also considered maintenance medications.
To see if your maintenance medications are included in the mandatory mail order program, log in to your Optum Rx online portal at optumrx.com.
What maintenance medications are excluded from the mandatory mail order program?
The AAH Mail Order Pharmacy is full-service and can fill almost any medication. While the following medication categories
are excluded from the mandatory mail order program, you're welcome to fill them with us but aren't required to.
- All controlled substances (e.g., narcotics, benzodiazepines, stimulants, etc.)
- Antidepressants
- Narcotic withdrawal therapy
- Most antibiotics
- Short-acting inhalers
- Antirejection, transplant and HIV medications
- Warfarin
What are grace fills?
Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care teammate prescription drug plan members are allowed one 30-day “grace fill” of maintenance medications at an in-network retail pharmacy.
The grace fill is meant to bridge the gap if you haven’t enrolled in the mail order delivery program yet.
Grace fills are also handy if you and your provider are trying a new maintenance medication, and you're not yet sure you'll stay on it.
Will I save money on my maintenance medications using the Advocate Aurora Health Mail Order Pharmacy?
Teammates covered by the AAH prescription drug plan can receive a discount on copays by ordering a 90-day supply of maintenance medications – you'll pay 2.5 times the copay
vs. 3 times – and shipping is free. If you currently have a 30-day prescription, the pharmacy team can work with your provider to get
the prescription changed to a 90-day supply when appropriate.
How do I get my maintenance medications if live in a state that the Advocate Aurora Health Mail Order Pharmacy isn't yet licensed in?
Employees and their covered dependents who live in the eight states where the Advocate Aurora Health Mail Order Pharmacy is not yet licensed
(Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Utah and Virginia) must use Optum Rx’s Home Delivery Pharmacy.
Log in to your Optum Rx online portal at
optumrx.com to enroll in Optum Home Delivery or call
800-665-2356.
You may enroll in auto-refills on this site as well.
What if I need my medication right away and can't wait for a new prescription to be shipped to me?
If you're currently enrolled in the mail order delivery program, call the pharmacy at 877-409-0148, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. In immediate need or
emergency situations, the pharmacy team can work with your local pharmacy to get the medication to you that day.
After taking care of your immediate prescription need, the prescription can then be transferred back to the mail order pharmacy.
If you're not enrolled in the mail order delivery program, you can request two prescriptions from your doctor:
one for an initial short-term supply (e.g., a 30-day supply or the amount allowed by your plan) your local pharmacy
can fill immediately, and one for a 90-day supply with three refills (or the maximum amount allowed by your plan)
to submit to the mail order pharmacy.
What if I have more questions about mail order delivery?
Find answers in our
mail order FAQ for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care teammates enrolled in the prescription drug plan.
Resources for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care teammates enrolled in the prescription drug benefits plan
