APWU Health Plan Alters Benefits To Aid Midwest Flood Victims
June 30, 2008
The APWU Health Plan is offering proactive support to members of the plan who are being impacted by severe flooding in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The adjustments are for healthcare coverage from June 13 to July 9.
“The Health Plan has relaxed precertification requirements for all types of medical and mental health care,” said William J. Kaczor Jr., the plan’s director. “For the designated period, the plan will make payments at the higher PPO rate to any provider of service, regardless of their network status.”
Kaczor said that the response to the disaster has come without direction from the Office of Personnel Management. “However, OPM is being notified and their approval of benefit changes is pending. All of the vendors that supply medical services to our members have been made aware of our direction and in turn have offered their assistance.”
Kaczor said that the vendors include those providing retail and mail-order prescription services: The APWU Health Plan, he said, is waiving the retail refill limitation so that members do not need to use the mail-order service for refills, or for lost or destroyed medications.
Members living in the following Zip codes are affected:
- Illinois: 61021, 61031, 61201, 61232, 61265, 61425, 61437, 61442, 61454, 61469.
- Iowa: 50027-50062, 50104, 50116-50119, 50207, 50136-50171, 50219, 50242-50268, 50314-50327, 50401, 50421-50477, 50602, 50613-50677, 50702, 50703, 52101, 52201-52255, 52301-52362, 52401-52499, 52534-52595, 52738, 52754.
- Missouri: 65605, 65610, 65625, 65706-65713, 65738-65739, 65742, 65801-65809.
- Wisconsin: 53001-53932, 53959, 54601-54989.
APWU Health Plan members with questions or concerns are encouraged to call 800-222-2798 (High Option) or 866-333-4648 (Consumer Driven Option).