Middletown residents and city employees press council over prescription coverage, refunds and workplace conditions

Several Middletown residents and city employees used the council's public-comment period on Aug. 4 to press for answers about recent changes to employee prescription coverage and related billing and privacy problems.

"Once I put changes to employee prescription coverage, ... I never got my refund," Hope Casper told the council, adding she was told the plan had been changed back to a $5 copay but that her pharmacy and plan records did not reflect that. She asked whether a three-year contract had been signed with Cigna/Express Scripts and why notices of changes were not posted at the Town Clerk's office.

John Casper said his wife takes Repatha, a medicine that must be refrigerated, and that a new requirement for a mandatory three-month supply raises safety concerns: "What do you do with the medication that's supposed to be refrigerated in case there's a power outage?" He said Risk Management had not returned calls.

Kathy Kennedy described what she said were billing inconsistencies and privacy problems: she said members across unions were being charged higher copays even though the contract maximum remained $5, that refunds had been issued inconsistently (some refund checks came from Cigna, others from Express Scripts), and that confidential prescription details had been shared with Risk Management and Human Resources without written consent, which she said raised HIPAA concerns.

Fanny Ruffino, president of Local 466, also used public comment to press for council oversight of building conditions and the Baker Tilly review process, saying union members felt excluded from parts of the audit process and urging council members to view City Yard facilities.

Councilmember Blackmore asked that staff follow up on the prescription and privacy concerns. Legal counsel Bridal Smith, who oversees the risk division, told the council: "The individual concerns that have been raised have already been answered and addressed at great length. ... My recommendation would be that to the extent that our individual issues remain, my office continue to deal with them." She said individual matters were appropriate for departmental follow-up rather than council action.

The council did not take a formal vote on policies related to prescription coverage at the meeting. Several commenters asked for clearer public notice about benefit changes, more timely responses from Risk Management, and a consistent refund process. Council members indicated staff would follow up with Risk Management and Human Resources to clarify the status of refunds, contract terms, and any necessary privacy protections.

What happens next: Councilmembers asked staff to continue to address individual cases through the risk office and to report back to the council as needed; no citywide policy change or resolution addressing the prescription coverage was adopted at this meeting.