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June 2003 IBEW Journal

A Record of Success

Through its contract with Sav-Rx for IBEW officers and staff, the IBEW was already familiar with the companys services. Among the 30,000 IBEW members, retirees and families already participating are locals in Florida, California, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Chicago Local 9 has been using Sav-Rx since January 2002. "Weve had a good experience with them," said Business Manager Robert Pierson. "They go out of their way to help us if there is ever a problem."

Pierson said their prices will improve even further with the national plan, because of the volume buying discount. Under the Local 9 plan, its members have a co-payment of 20 percent of the cost of the medications, but co-payments can vary from plan to plan, said Sav-Rx Operations Vice President Christy Piti.

"The biggest question Ive gotten from IBEW members since the launch is how they can customize their plan," Piti said. "They set their co-payments and decide what is covered."

The company has impressed IBEW members with its emphasis on customer service. In an age of automated telephone operators, it offers live customer support, including a pharmacist to answer questions. It has extensive hours of service, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday (CST) and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays as well as Spanish-speaking customer service specialists. Sav-Rxs web site has a section with a directory that allows traveling members to find participating pharmacies.

Sav-Rx has a mail-order service that offers even greater savings for participants willing to wait for regular prescriptions. Packaging for the mail order customers is concealed, making discerning the contents difficult for anyone looking at a plain box.

IBEW Local 2001 represents all the Sav-Rx employees at the companys mail-order facilities in Chicago, Fremont, Nebraska, and the customer service center in Fremont. That helps participants who call the customer service center, Pierson said. "The people there are the members, so they know the plans," he said. Local 2001, Fremont, represents 75 customer service representatives, mail order facility workers, pharmacy technicians, mail processors and account receivable workers, Piti said.

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