Postdoctoral Fellows - Prescription Drug Coverage

Prescription Drug Benefits

When you enroll in any Columbia University medical plan, you are automatically enrolled in the Prescription Drug plan, administered by OptumRx.

Accessing Your Benefit

To find participating pharmacies or enroll in the OptumRx mail-order program, log in to myuhc.com and choose “Manage Your Prescriptions” or call 800-232-9357 for assistance.

Using Your Benefits

The cost of your prescriptions depends on a number of factors whether you buy your medication through a retail pharmacy or through the mail-order program and whether the drug is Tier I, Tier II or Tier III.

Copays

All prescription drugs are subject to a copay, and that copay accumulates towards your out-of-pocket maximum for your medical plan. Once you reach the annual out-of-pocket maximum, the Plan pays 100% of the cost of prescription drugs*.

Prescription Drug Copays

* $30,000 lifetime Maximum for Infertility medication

NOTE: Eligible specialty medications will be processed through PillarRx with a 30% coinsurance, offset by the manufacturer discount. You will be notified in advance if you need to enroll.

You need to present your UHC ID card the first time you fill a prescription. You can have up to a 30-day supply of your prescription when filled at a retail pharmacy.

  • In New York, New Jersey and other states, a pharmacy is required by law to substitute a brand name drug with a generic. Your copay is $10 or the cost of the generic drug, whichever is less.
     
  • If no generic is available for your prescription, your drug is “Tier II” and you will pay $25.

Using the prescription drug mail-order program, you can order up to a 90-day supply. Recommended for people who use medication on a regular basis, mail-order should be less expensive than retail pharmacies and offers easy refill—online or by phone.

To enroll in the OptumRx mail-order program or find participating pharmacies, log in to myuhc.com; choose "Manage Your Prescriptions" then "Order Prescriptions" or call 800-232-9357.

Specialty medications must be purchased via mail-order from Optum Specialty Pharmacy. Optum Specialty Pharmacy will mail your prescription in an unlabeled package to you at the address of your choice.

Call 855-427-4682 to speak to a patient care representative to get started. Typically, you will receive a 30-day supply of the prescription at the retail pharmacy copay.

If you use any pharmacy other than Optum Specialty Pharmacy, you will be subject to the full cost of the medication, not a copay.

Columbia University partners with the IPC Copay Assistance Program administered by PillarRx to reduce your costs for certain eligible high-cost medications that you may be taking to manage your health. This is a confidential program managed directly by PillarRx.

Learn more about the IPC Copay Assistance Program

Information Notice

ID Card

UHC ID cards have member information for medical, vision, and prescription drug coverage. You do not need separate cards for each benefit. After enrolling in a medical plan, it can take three weeks for a UHC ID card to arrive in your mail. 

If necessary, you can print a temporary UHC ID card two weeks after enrolling. Create an account on myuhc.com to print a temporary ID card. Use your Social Security Number, date of birth, and Group number 712790.