What you need to know
The Trustees have selected a new pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) for participants that elect and pay for Tiers 1 and 2 Cigna medical plan coverage. (If you are enrolled in an HMO, you will continue to receive your pharmacy benefits through your HMO.)
Starting January 1, 2026, MedImpact is replacing OptumRX as the Fund’s PBM.
Your prescription drug benefits are not changing. The coinsurance rates, copay amounts, deductible amount, and tier structure will remain the same on January 1, 2026. We’re only changing the pharmacy carrier.
What You Need to Do
Actions to Take Now (Before January 1, 2026)
- Continue using your current retail or mail order/home delivery pharmacy.
- If you are taking a maintenance medication that you get by mail, make sure you have at least a one-month supply before the changeover. Get a refill right away if you don’t.
- Keep an eye out for a welcome email and a physical mailing with your new ID card. Both will come directly from MedImpact. Any dependents that will be covered under your plan will also receive their own ID card.
Actions to Take After January 1, 2026
- Start using the MedImpact ID card at the pharmacy.
- Register your MedImpact account on the MedImpact website or app.
- Download the free MedImpact app at the App Store or Google Play.
Filling Prescriptions
- Retail: The MedImpact network of retail pharmacies is very similar to the OptumRx network. To find a pharmacy near you, use the tools on MedImpact’s website or app after January 1.
- Maintenance Medications: MedImpact Direct Mail provides free home delivery through Birdi, its mail-order pharmacy partner. You can use Birdi for 90-day prescriptions for maintenance medications that you take regularly, like those for high blood pressure or diabetes. After January 1, you’ll need to sign up for MedImpact/Birdi home delivery if you want to use this service. You can also continue to fill 90-day prescriptions for maintenance medications at retail pharmacies if that’s easier for you.
- Specialty Medications: You can fill specialty medications at a retail pharmacy or through MedImpact’s Direct Specialty Program. Specialty medications are used to treat chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or hepatitis C.
New Resources
MedImpact’s customer service representatives are available 24/7 if you need help, and the MedImpact website and app have several easy-to-use tools to:
- Find the lowest cost for medications, including comparing costs at nearby pharmacies,
- View your prescription history and order refills,
- Use the home delivery program,
- View benefit highlights,
- Find network retail pharmacies.
A New Formulary—and Continuing Coverage for Those Impacted by Changes
Every PBM has their own list of drugs they cover, called a formulary. Prescription drug carriers, including MedImpact, regularly review and update their lists.
The MedImpact formulary is similar—but not identical—to the OptumRx formulary. If prescription medication(s) you are taking before January 1, 2026 are covered by the OptumRx formulary but not the MedImpact formulary, MedImpact will continue to cover them the same way for a total of six months, through June 30, 2026.
If you are taking any medications impacted by the formulary change, MedImpact will contact you directly to explain the change and your options moving ahead.
We’re Here to Help
If you have any questions about the changes explained above or the steps you need to take, please contact the Fund Office by phone from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET at (212) 869-9380 in New York City / toll-free outside of New York City at (800) 344-5220, or by email to health@equityleague.org.
Note: The Fund Office is scheduled to be closed beginning December 31, 2025 at 1 PM ET through January 4, 2026, in observance of the New Year’s holiday. We will though have limited staff in the Benefit Services Department who will be available by phone and email only on Friday, January 2, 2026 to assist with any questions associated with the transition to MedImpact. Our normal office hours will resume on Monday, January 5, 2026, and the full staff will be available.
You can also contact MedImpact after January 1, 2026, by using its website or app, or by phone:
- MedImpact Customer Service: (844) 863-0352
- MedImpact Mail Order Through Birdi: (855) 873-8739
- MedImpact Specialty Pharmacy: (877) 391-1103