BlueCross and the Tennessee-based employers we serve paid $975 million for provider-administered specialty drugs in 2019. And these employer group customers are asking us to help them better manage these costs. By requiring providers to use our specialty pharmacy network, we can make sure our members get better prices. Any savings will go directly to Tennessee employer groups and their employees (our members), not BlueCross or a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM).

The process change applies to members in many of our self-funded employer-sponsored plans. (Those are plans where the employer directly funds the cost of its employees’ medical care, and uses BlueCross for its network, administrative and care support services.)

It does not apply to Individual/Marketplace, Medicare Advantage, BlueCare, and BlueCare Plus plans yet. Members in these plans should simply follow the same process as before.

Please contact us at the member service number on the back of your member ID if you have questions about whether these changes apply to you.

The pandemic has not affected our timeline. But as many companies struggle through the resulting economic slowdown, the chance to save up to 20% on an expensive class of medications is even more important.