REA-Reading Education Association

Redefining Success

Mitch Hettinger, President

1800 N. 12TH Street

Reading, PA  19604

610-374-7101 (office)

610-374-3173 (fax)

MEMORANDUM

DATE: 4 January 2017

TO: REA Members

SUBJ: New Insurance

  1. All members should have received their OptumRx cards in the mail before the holidays.  Please go the website and register and surf for needed info.  You can order/print new cards on the website.  I was on the website yesterday and encountered some difficulties with trying to locate local pharmacies.  I was told the site was encountering some difficulty and that it would be up and running today.
  2. All members should have received their new Loomis cards.  It is recommended that you go to the Loomis website to surf for needed info.  I was informed today that members can check their billings on the website and order new cards on the website.
  3. There have been instances where the prescription plan has been charging the preferred brand price for medications previously being charged the generic brand price.  If the medication has a generic equivalent versus a medication that does not have a generic equivalent is where the hang up is.  We are working on that and will have a lengthy discussion when we meet with the Joint Health Care committee next Tuesday.  In the meantime, if you are encountering this scenario, keep your receipts.
  4. Please understand that the OptumRx cards and the Loomis cards do not come out of the RSD Insurance office.  If you have not received the cards, you need to contact those companies to have that rectified.
  5. The new deductibles/co-insurance is now in play as of January 1st,.  Otherwise the plan is the same, except for the new Optum Rx prescription plan that gives us much more freedom to deal with whichever pharmacy we want to get the best deal for ourselves.  Again, check out the Optum website. 
  1. Welcome back…I hope you had a great holiday break.  Happy New Year as we begin the 2017 part of the school year.

Respectfully,

Mitch Hettinger

President, REA

president@readingea.com www.Readingea.com office@readingea.com