This Express Script pharmacy is just horrible. They send me a letter today saying that my medication i need to live is no longer covered effective last week, they say my only option is a cheaper d–g that's just awful. I didn't even think it was possible they could pull this in the middle of the year. It's like bait and switch. I wouldn't even have joined this company if i knew this information. Now I have to spend all day looking for another job so I can have appropriate medical coverage. Has this occurred to anyone else out there? What did you do?
18 replies (most recent on top)
I do not use my WF medical for my RX I can get it cheaper using GoodRX. One of my meds with our lovely healthcare is $190 if I use Good RX it is $80
@2shz+1aanfTWm Is incorrect.
Corporations offering traditional healthcare plans saw them become “Cadillac plans” with a 40% tax on the employer (not the recipient of the benefit) under Obamacare. Union plans and Cadillac plans were and are taxed. Banks all went catastrophic in 2009 as a result. I know this well as it devastated our family for 5 years and we still have not recovered.
If “Most people who hate the ACA not only post misinformation, but rarely know how it has benefited them because they are too busy with partisan hatred” would you like wager the remaining $65K balance of the $90K medical debt which we ran up over the 5 years due to the “Affordable” Healthcare Act? Obamacare only benefitted people who were able to take advantage of the Medicaid expansion in the ACA. Unions, governments workers and Teachers were all exempted.
This left us with a nightmare medical care system who’s only supporters (gov, union, schools, bureaucrats of all levels) were exempt from it. People should be made to eat their own cooking.
This happens all the time at all companies. WF benefits are not as good as elsewhere. Benefits at all companies are getting worse. Fyi all companies evaluate meds, etc they are willing to cover annually.
For the example cited, happened to me too. Just need your Dr to call and appeal the decision. this happened to me 6 yrs ago and I've been approved since
@2wlx+1aanfTWm, because you stated "...are only doing what Wells Fargo has chosen as coverage and is paying for. The coverage "package" is bought and decided on by Wells Fargo." The coverage is there for the special pharmacy, but they will delay it because they don't have the infrastructure and resources to approve. In the last two years, they have added teams to specifically address my wife's health condition medicine. That only happened after we used the health insurance's patient advocate to argue for her. The d–gs were part of the coverage, but they deny it because to delay it creates additional liability. If they deny it with an 'approved' denial excuse, the liability is lessened. To delay it for months creates additional liability. The special teams created in the wake of the advocate's involvement indicates they know they have to fill the request, and they have created teams for specific medical conditions.
you are saying what I said - why are you calling it false?
WF chose them, and chose what coverage would be provided. That's the way it works. WF buys their operating model, including automatic denials, etc, because it keeps the costs within WF's parameters.
If ES is a c-appy company and not able to handle something of WF size... that's what WF bought.
Don't know how long you've been around but this isn't WF's first tour with ES. They used to be called Medco.
Don't call WF HR. They are completely worthless.
@1ybv+1aanfTWm this is false. Express Scripts was not (and probably is still not) mature enough as a company to handle a plan the size of Wells Fargo. WF went with them because they were the lowest bidder. By default, they will deny coverage on something outside the ordinary because there are regulatory issues for delaying a decision. It's actually advantageous for them to deny the claim than to hold off when resources are available for researching and approving the d–g. Reach out to the healthcare plan's patient advocate. They know the ins and outs, and legal requirements, and will be able to get things approved.
@21xq you are far from being informed.
The poster below is straight wrong. Please always check your sources.
The 40% excise tax on “Cadillac” plans never took effect and is likely to be repealed before it’s 2022 start date. It’s pretty unlikely that the WF plans for regular employees qualify as Cadillac anyway.
Most people who hate the ACA not only post misinformation, but rarely know how it has benefited them because they are too busy with partisan hatred.
Pharmacy benefit managers are one of the biggest drains on health care value. Look into cash and an HSA.
Yes, the 40% tax on traditional healthcare plans was added in Obamacare and health has been a disaster ever since. You really cannot blame Express Scripts. They didn’t vote for the ACA but from the posts here, most Wells employees probably did.
Took us informed voters down with you, which is too sad for words.
Express Scripts - or any other insurer, for Rx or health - are only doing what Wells Fargo has chosen as coverage and is paying for. The coverage "package" is bought and decided on by Wells Fargo.
So it isn't a matter of Express Scripts vs CVS (prior) vs other. It's what WF is willing to pay for. And they're paying for less and less each year.
Express Scripts is the absolute worst. My wife's meds she needs to live were also discontinued. I complained enough online and through HR that they finally agreed to cover them, but it was exhausting. Afterwards, they still took forever to send out the medicine (it was special pharmacy). We eventually got the health insurance company on the phone with them. There were phone calls we weren't privy to, but the issue got resolved. Check with your healthcare plan's patient advocate. Ours got it done.
Wells Fargo continues to find different ways to stick it to their employees. For every $1 they give you publicly, they take $2 away behind the scenes. Net net is less for the common employee and more for the senior execs. They succeed by taking away from us. Nice company we work for.
The tables will turn. The rotten eventually self- implodes.
I’m sorry to hear that. If it helps, try shopping the medicine. Express Scripts stopped covering my friend’s heart med. It went from something like $25 per month to maybe $325 per month. He was able to get it through Costco at the $100ish range, not going through insurance. More than it was, but much cheaper than Express Scripts. Your situation might be very different, but shopping your expensive meds is a good way to go for everyone.
Wells Fargo’s health coverage gets worse every year. One year John Stumpf explained in a town hall that it was actually better for us all to have less coverage and higher premiums because it made us aware of health care costs.
Yes, he said that. And everyone smiled and nodded.
Co switch, but not midyear.
Express scripts is really bad. Rejected two medicines which were covered before. Somehow, I do not need them now so it is no big deal. Wells Fargo insurance coverages are equally bad.
Who's to say your new company doesn't switch? Companies constantly switch health providers who provide the best deal.