- Members' Update -
July 8, 2008

The IRS raises the mileage rate to $.585 per mile starting July 1, 2008.

Mark your calendars - MGEC Golf Tournament will be September 8, 2008 starting at 12:00 noon.  This is a change from prior years August date.  Teams of 5 players will start with a shot gun start playing best ball.  Stone Ridge Golf Club, in the east of St. Paul/Maplewood area, will provide a delightful and challenging new course for MGEC with 5 star service and the MGEC Annual Meeting & Dinner to follow.

• Tournament & Dinner Registration Form

• Dinner Registration Only

• Awards Criteria

• Scholarship Information

Congratulations to engineers passing their PE exam!  The following process was agreed to by MGEC and Mn/DOT in processing the Professional Engineer (PE) registration notifications:

• Upon receipt of notification, engineers who have passed the PE portion of the registration process will notify Jolene Forman immediately that they have passed the PE and provide her a copy of their notice.

• Engineers will have 30 days from the date of the notice from the Board to pay the registration fee for the PE license and provide Jolene Forman with the registration number.

• Jolene will notify the managers/supervisors of the engineers who have passed the PE and provide them a template position description for Senior Engineer, template justification memo, and a copy of the salary upon promotion form for them to complete to facilitate the reallocation process.

• Supervisors and managers will have 30 days from the date of notice from the Board to complete the appropriate paperwork and submit it to Jolene Forman.

• Engineers who have passed the PE and paid their fee within the 30 day timeframe indicated above will be reallocated to Senior Engineer 30 days from the date of the PE notice.

• Engineers who do not provide the appropriate information within the 30 day timeframe will be reallocated on the date that the registration number and paperwork has been submitted to Jolene Forman.

Health Plan Rx changes: Members are receiving letters concerning changes in drug coverage and the prices charged for those specific drugs.  If you have questions about such changes or choose to appeal the effectiveness of a drug change for you (and thereby keep a lower price point) read on for information on the number to contact.  Here is a sample letter:

"MN Advantage Health Plan is partnered with Navitus Health Solutions to provide your prescription drug benefit. In April 2008, as part of the Clinical Transition process, you received a letter from us advising that Cozaar and Hyzaar would continue to be covered at Tier 2 until further review.

The Navitus Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee has completed their review and determined that there are equally effective and less expensive alternatives to Cozaar and Hyzaar.  Therefore, effective August 1, these two drugs will be transitioned to Tier 3 for all new prescriptions.  Members currently taking either of these drugs will have their refills honored until October 1, 2008.

These changes are effective October 1, 2008 for members currently taking Cozaar or Hyzaar.

If this change affects you, share this letter with your prescriber and discuss which covered alternative is right for you. For a full list of drugs covered by your benefit, please visit our Web site at www.navitus.com. 

If you have any questions about transitioning to a different medication or the appeal process to maintain your drug at a tier 2 level, call Navitus Customer Care toll-free at 1-866-333-2757.

 Sincerely,

 

Thomas Radloff, Registered Pharmacist
Director, Clinical Pharmacy Operations
Navitus Health Solutions"

 

Johns Hopkins Health Alert: The Risks of Drug Flipping
Has your health insurance company ever urged you to switch medications? Johns Hopkins explains the risks of "drug flipping," and offers advice.

People sometimes encounter problems with their medications when they switch insurance companies. A brand of drug that is covered with a small co-pay on their former plan may not be on the formulary (the list of drugs approved by a health insurer for use by its beneficiaries) of the new one. In these cases, the company may create financial pressure to switch from one drug to another, or from a brand-name drug to a generic -- a practice sometimes referred to as "drug flipping".

If this happens to you, start by asking your doctor or pharmacist if the new drug is as safe and effective as the one you were using before. Certain classes of drugs are interchangeable at equivalent doses, meaning you may have to take a different dose of the new drug for the same effect you got from the former medication. When this happens, drug flipping can lead to confusion and can thereby increase the chance of medication errors.

It is also possible that your individual response to the “equivalent” dose of a different drug actually may not be equivalent, in which case flipping your brand might not be in your best interest. For instance, if you are getting a good result from a certain drug for high blood pressure, switching brands could be risky.

Nobody enjoys these bureaucratic problems, but they are part of the complex American healthcare system. By becoming familiar with your insurer’s formulary and drug-benefit policies, you can avoid inconvenience and unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses.

Many insurers provide a condensed “pocket formulary” you can take with you when you visit your doctor. When the doctor reaches for the prescription pad, reach for your formulary and check your coverage. It may save you aggravation and expense at the pharmacy.

Posted in Prescription Drugs on May 20, 2008

"Rep. Melissa Hortman talked of changing a law that says state employee salaries can't be higher than the governor's. 'It may be that the marketplace says an engineer is a more valuable asset than a governor,' said Hortman, a Democrat."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-24-minnbridge_N.htm?loc=intersti

Engineer PE Licensure – All licenses expire on 6/30/2008 so remember to make sure your renewal information is in soon.  Contact the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design at 651-296-2388.  You may also renew online at http://www.aelslagid.state.mn.us/renewals.html.  Continuing Education Requirements (MN Statute 326.107)