COLUMBUS — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced refunds may be available to eligible Ohio Medicare beneficiaries due to an error in drug prices for SilverScript’s Part D prescription drug plans. The inaccurate prices, which appeared on the CMS website’s plan finder tool, were contained in data the plan provided to CMS, as well as on the SilverScript website and other commercial sites. SilverScript is a subsidiary of the CVS Caremark Corporation.    

 

The problem arises from a computer error which caused prices for brand name drugs to be listed about 4% lower on the plan finder than they should have been. The inaccurate information, which appeared from Oct. 8, 2009, to Jan. 8, 2010, made the CVS plans seem more attractive than they really were. Consumers have been charged the higher price since the beginning of 2010, though generic drug prices have not been affected. CVS notified CMS of the problem in January and sent letters of apology to affected customers in late March.

 

CMS is assessing this error with SilverScript, and at this time, no sanction has been imposed. Beneficiaries are eligible for a refund of the price difference.  This refund must be requested from CVS directly, who will issue the refund.  Beneficiaries interested in switching from their SilverScript plan because they based their decision last fall on this on misleading information may contact 1-800-MEDICARE to enroll in another plan.

 

People with questions about Medicare can call the Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 1-800-686-1578.

 

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