If you purchase a brand-name drug that has a generic equivalent, you will pay an ancillary charge. Here's how it works:

1. You purchase a brand-name drug that that has a generic equivalent.
2. The plan pays the same amount we would have paid if you had purchased the generic equivalent.
3. You pay the rest.

Specifically, you pay the generic coinsurance plus the difference in cost between the generic and brand-name drugs.

To find out if a brand-name drug has a generic equivalent and is subject to an ancillary charge, check the UMP Preferred Drug List (look for "AC" under the "Ancillary Charge" column) or call Washington State Rx Services at 1-888-361-1611.

Ancillary charge amounts are considered noncovered and do not apply toward your prescription drug deductible or medical out-of-pocket limit.

Why do I have to pay an ancillary charge?

Generic drugs have the same active ingredients and have been determined by the Food and Drug Administration as being therapeutically identical to their brand-name versions. Choosing generics saves money for you and helps keep premiums low for everyone in the plan. If you choose a brand-name drug when you could have purchased a generic drug, you will pay the difference in cost.

How can I avoid paying the ancillary charge?

Ask your doctor to write the prescription with "substitution permitted." Then, if there is a generic version of the drug, the pharmacist will automatically fill your prescription with the generic. If a generic becomes available in the future, you will get the generic when you refill your prescription.