Frequently Asked Questions

Why Am I Being Given A Generic?

• The FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) makes sure generics are identical to the brand-name in 3 ways:
• They must have the same active ingredient
• The dose and strength must be identical
• The overall quality, stability and safety must be similar
• In some cases, generics are 80-85% less expensive than brand-name medications
• In most cases, insurance companies won’t pay for brand-name medications if there is a generic available

Why Do I Have To Wait for a Prior Authorization for My Medication?

• Prior Authorizations (PAs) exist for a few reasons:
• They are used for very expensive medications: $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000 per dose
• They can be used for specific approved uses of a medication
• They can be required if a medication could be abused
• For PAs, the pharmacy works with your provider for the medication to be paid for by the insurance company
• On average a PA takes 7 to 10 business days to be approved

What is the difference between Nation Insurance and Benefit?

• Insurance


• You might have insurance if you are a Ho-Chunk Elder, an employee of the Nation or immediate family of the employee
• If you were given insurance cards that say Auxiant


• Benefit (Uninsured) The Ho-Chunk Nation pays for your healthcare and medications with some help from the Indian Health Service


• You did not receive insurance cards
• You can only get your medications for free if you get them from one of the Ho-Chunk pharmacies
• You are not a Tribal Elder, employee or immediate family of an employee and on their insurance plan

Why Should I Get Insurance?

• Insurance can help prevent having to pay major medical bills if hospitalized
• Insurance can help pay for medications if you are traveling
• Insurance can help pay for medications that Ho-Chunk pharmacies don’t carry
• Insurance can help pay for medications you might need when the pharmacy is closed, like holidays or weekends
Note: Purchased Referred Care (Contract Health) is a payor of last resort. It is not meant to be used long-term
• Contact our Health Benefits Coordinators for more Information

Why Am I Being Asked to Be Seen Once A Year?

• The Ho-Chunk Nation receives medications at a discounted rate as a part of an agreement with IHS
• These medications can only be dispensed to Tribal members who are ACTIVE patients of the Health Department: those who are seen once a year
• It is a tremendous savings to the Tribe if you maintain your active patient status

Note: If you are not seen once every 12 months to remain an active pharmacy patient, you can still use our pharmacy, but you may be responsible for any co-pay or payment of medication

What qualifies as a Health Department visit to be an active pharmacy patient?

Any service within the Department of Health not related to picking up or being given medications

• Medical provider visits
• Dental
• Optical
• Nursing
• Community Health Visits
• Vaccines
• Exercise Physiology
• Podiatry
• Behavioral Health
• Telehealth visits (as allowed by specific service)