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~~.AN~~ ~~TLTI~T'~~~ <br />HILLSBOROUGH <br />NORTH CAROLINA <br />lllana9er's ~f~ce <br />July 27, 2006 <br />Mr. David Thompson, <br />Executive Director <br />North Carolina Association of County Commissioners <br />P.O. Box 1488 <br />Raleigh, North Carolina 27602-1488 <br />Re: Issues Related to Transition to CIGNA Healthcare Inc. as Health Plan Administrator <br />Dear David: <br />~-I ei~t,tt.iM~~ <br />hO <br />G:r1~6fsl ed l%.% <br />I am writing this letter to express my deep concern over several issues that have been brought <br />to my attention following the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Health <br />Trusts' (NCACC) transition to CIGNA Healthcare, Inc. (CIGNA), and Caremark, Inc. <br />(Caremark) as Third Party Administrators for the Pool's Health and Pharmacy Plans. <br />As you know; in December 2005, you notified me, by letter, of the Group Benefits Pool <br />Board of Trustees' decision to end the Pool's services contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield <br />of North Carolina (BCBSNC) effective June 30, 2006. Additionally, your letter went on to <br />explain that, effective July 1, 2006, the Pool's Board had chosen CIGNA and Caremark to serve <br />as the~new Plan Administrators for health and pharmacy services. I directed my staff to contact <br />the NCACC to obtain information related to the transition process details/communications, plan <br />design, network availability, claims processing, and customer service. Additionally, we arranged <br />a meeting (February 1, 2006) to express our concerns with representatives from the NCACC and <br />CIGNA. During our February meeting, and in subsequent communications with the NCACC <br />and CIGNA, we were assured that ,our plan design would remain the same, that CIGNA's <br />network of providers was substantially similar to that provided by BCBSNC, dedicated customer <br />service representatives would be trained and knowledgeable xegarding our health/pharmacy <br />benefits, and that performance guarantees would be established to ensure a smooth transition in <br />July. . <br />In the weeks preceding, and since the July 1 effective date Orange County employees, <br />retirees, and their dependents have experienced problems utilizing their health and pharmacy <br />benefits, including (but not limited to): <br />Enrollment Kits -Information packets sent to employees in May we labeled as <br />"County Health Plan Enrollment Kit". Staff had to spend many hours addressing <br />concerns of confused employees who had been advised that re-enrollment was not <br />required. . <br />Missing Cards -Many employees reported that their entire family, or members of <br />their family have not. received cards even though all address information is correct <br />AREA COC7E (919) 732-8181 968 -4501 0 688-7331 m 227-2031 ~ FAX (919) 644-3004 <br />Ext. 2300 <br />