STATE LAUNCHES HEALTH OPTIONS HOTLINE

TOLL-FREE NUMBER OFFERS PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE, OTHER RESOURCES

NASHVILLE — The State of Tennessee today announced a new service, the Health Options Hotline, for those individuals who are coming off TennCare.

The toll-free hotline, 1-888-486-9355, primarily will serve as a clearinghouse for information on prescription assistance programs. The hotline also can connect TennCare disenrollees to the Ask-A-Nurse service if they want to discuss a health or medical condition with a registered nurse. Finally, the hotline can provide a list of healthcare resources in each county, including local health departments and nonprofit clinics that may provide free or low-cost services based on ability to pay.

“As we make changes in TennCare, we’re making every effort to inform people of other health options that are available to them,” said Dave Goetz, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration. “The hotline can be a useful service, particularly for those individuals looking for prescription assistance.”

Prescription assistance, the centerpiece service offered on the Health Options Hotline, is being provided by the State under an $11.6 million contract with Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit management company that offers three types of programs:

• Express Access Discount Card — Provides savings up to 10% on brand-name prescription medicines and up to 50% on generic medicines purchased at participating pharmacies.
• Rx Outreach — Provides free generic medicines from a list of 55 FDA-approved drugs to help treat problems like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and depression. The State will cover the cost of the program — approximately $12 million — through December 31 (or June 30, 2006, for those identified by TennCare as mentally ill). After that, participants will be required to pay a fee of $6 per month per prescription if they choose to continue participating in the program.
• Additional Prescription Assistance — Provides help getting access to other assistance programs, including those that may be offered by brand-name drug manufacturers.

In addition to these drug programs, the State also is providing $33 million in direct funding to help mentally ill TennCare disenrollees buy prescriptions at their local pharmacies and $8 million in federal funds to help Medicare-eligible individuals until the Medicare drug plan takes effect in January.

For information on these or other programs, call the Health Options Hotline at 1-888-486-9355.