CVS Changes Prescription Policy For Employees Of Large Companies

Some Oklahomans now must spend more time at the pharmacy and more money on their medications.

Those impacted are employees of big companies that are headquartered outside Oklahoma and use CVS Caremark for their prescriptions.

The Oklahoma Department of Insurance said CVS Caremark's decision has a substantial impact.

The department and lawmakers are hearing from concerned Oklahomans and urging the company to change its decision.

Donald Davis and his wife have been counting on 90-day mail orders from CVS Caremark for their prescriptions, but that's not an option anymore after they got an unexpected letter on March 25.

“You’ll now pay for one month of medication every 30 days instead of three months of medications every 90 days,” Davis said while reading the letter to News On 6.

For the couple, the change impacts a total of five medications, which they said could now cost up to five times more.

“It’s going to cause me to spend more time at the pharmacy in line and going to have to pay more for the medications,” said Davis.

CVS Caremark gave News On 6 this statement: “The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) recently asserted authority over prescription benefits for certain multistate or national employers headquartered out-of-state. Only Oklahoma consumers who are members of those out-of-state plans are impacted by the changes eliminating 90-day prescriptions. We discussed with the OID the numerous considerations in changing uniform benefit design to apply only to members in a single state. We implemented interim measures and are working to develop a long-term solution with the input of our clients.”

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready explained to News On 6 the changes.

"There is nothing in the law that says they can't do 90-day prescriptions,” said Mulready. “They are just making a business decision not to offer that."

Mulready said the Oklahoma Insurance Department has been enforcing changes with the law from a bill passed in 2019.

Part of the law says pharmacy benefit managers, known as PBMs, like Caremark, are not allowed to offer people financial incentives to do mail order or steer people toward a specific mail order service.

Mulready said the state has fined CVS Caremark substantially, and the company just made a decision that will not be fixed until one year from now.

"The employer has the contract with the PBM, so they need to make more noise to CVS Caremark to say, 'This is unacceptable. We need 90-day prescriptions for our employees. You need to get this fixed ASAP,’" said Mulready.

Mulready told News On 6 the association that represents PBMs like CVS Caremark has sued him and the state.

He said that case is being challenged in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.