When You Must Use the Mail Service or the Maintenance Choice Program
Except for insulin and for the other prescription drugs listed below that you can buy either at a retail pharmacy or through the mail, all maintenance drugs must be ordered through the Plan’s CVS Caremark Mail Service or Maintenance Choice Program after they have been filled and refilled once. Examples of maintenance drugs that must be filled through one of these Programs are:
- Prescription drugs taken on a regular basis for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and asthma.
- Diabetic blood sugar level test strips must also be ordered through these programs.
To get started, you may fill an initial prescription of a maintenance drug in person at a pharmacy and receive up to a 30-day supply. You also may order one refill at a retail pharmacy. After that, you must order refills through either CVS Caremark Mail Service or Maintenance Choice Program. Except for prescription drugs that are identified as “specialty” or are required for chemotherapy, mail service and Maintenance Choice refills are limited to a 90-day supply.
