Medication Therapy Management Program
The Aetna Better Health of Ohio Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Program is all about you and your health. The MTM Program helps you get the most out of your medications by:
- Preventing or reducing drug-related risks
- Supporting good lifestyle habits
- Providing information for safe medication disposal options
Who qualifies for the MTM Program?
You will be enrolled in the Aetna Better Health of Ohio MTM Program if you meet one of the following:
Have coverage limitation(s) in place for medication(s) with a high risk for dependence and/or abuse, or
- Meet the following criteria:
- You have three or more of these conditions:
- Asthma
- Chronic heart failure (CHF)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Diabetes
- Dyslipidemia
- Hypertension
- Chronic alcohol & drug dependence
- HIV/AIDS
- You take eight or more maintenance medications covered by your plan
- You are likely to spend more than $4,935 in prescription drug costs in 2023
- You have three or more of these conditions:
Your participation in the MTM Program is voluntary and does not affect your coverage. This is not a plan benefit and is open only to those who qualify. There is no extra cost to you for the MTM Program.
How will I know if I qualify for the MTM Program?
If you qualify, we will mail you a letter. You may also receive a call to set up your one-on-one medication review.
What services are included in the MTM Program?
In the MTM Program, you will receive the following services from a health care provider:
- Comprehensive medication review
- Targeted medication review
What is a comprehensive medication review?
The comprehensive medication review is completed with a health care provider in person or over the phone. This review is a discussion that includes all your medications:
- Prescriptions
- Over-the-counter (OTC)
- Herbal therapies
- Dietary supplements
This review usually takes 20 minutes or less to complete. During the review, you may ask any questions about your medications or health conditions. The health care provider may offer ways to help you manage your health and get the most out of your medications. If more information is needed, the health care provider may contact your prescriber.
At the end of the review, the health care provider will provide you with a summary of what you discussed. The summary will include the following:
- Recommended To-Do List. Your to-do list may include suggestions for you
and your prescriber to discuss during your next visit.
- Medication List. This is a list of all the medications discussed
during your review. You can keep this list and share it with your prescribers
and/or caregivers.
- Here is a blank copy of the Medication List (English / Spanish) for tracking your medications
Who will contact me about completing the review?
You may receive a call from a pharmacy where you recently filled one or more of your prescriptions. You can choose to complete the review in person or over the phone.
A health care provider may also call you to complete your review over the phone. When they call, you can schedule your review at a time that is best for you.
Trusted MTM Program partners: CVS Caremark Pharmacist Review Team, Outcomes Patient Engagement Team, MedWatchers, and Pack4U Connected Health
Why is this review important?
Different prescribers may write prescriptions for you without knowing all the medications you take. For that reason, the MTM Program health care provider will:
- Review all your medications
- Discuss how your medications may affect each other
- Identify any side effects from your medications
- Help you reduce your prescription drug costs
How do I benefit from talking with a health care provider?
By completing the medication review with a health care provider, you will:
- Understand how to safely take your medications
- Get answers to any questions you may have about your medications or health conditions
- Review ways to help you save money on your drug costs
- Receive a Recommended To-Do List and Medication List to keep and share with your prescribers and/or caregivers
What is a targeted medication review?
The targeted medication review is completed by a health care provider who reviews your medications at least once every three months. With this review, we mail, fax, or call your prescriber with suggestions about prescription drugs that may be safer or work better for you. As always, your prescriber will decide whether to consider our suggestions. Your prescription drugs will not change unless you and your prescriber decide to change them. We may also contact you by mail or phone with suggestions about your medications.
How can I get more information about the MTM Program?
Please contact us if you would like more information about the Aetna Better Health of Ohio MTM Program or if you do not want to participate. Our number is 1-855-364-0974, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (TTY users, call 711)
How do I safely dispose of medications I don’t need?
The Aetna Better Health of Ohio MTM Program is dedicated to providing you with information about safe medication disposal. Medications that are safe for you may not be safe for someone else. Unneeded medications should be disposed of as soon as possible. You can discard your unneeded medications through a local safe disposal program or at home for some medications.
- Locating a community safe drug disposal site
A drug take back site is the best way to safely dispose of medications. To find drug take back sites near you, visit the website below and enter your location:
https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e2s1
Some pharmacies and police stations offer on-site drop-off boxes, mail-back programs, and other ways for safe disposal. Call your pharmacy or local police department (non-emergency number) for disposal options near you.
- Mailing medications to accepting drug disposal sites
Medications may be mailed to authorized sites using approved packages. Information on mail-back sites can be found at www.deatakeback.com
- Safe at-home medication disposal
You can safely dispose of many medications through the trash or by flushing them down the toilet. Visit the following website first to learn what medications are safe to dispose of at home:
https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/prevention/safely-dispose-drugs/index.html
Steps for medication disposal in the trash:
- Remove medication labels to protect your personal information
- Mix medications with undesirable substances, such as dirt or used coffee grounds
- Place mixture in a sealed container, such as an empty margarine tub
- Enter provider or facility name or select a specialty
- Enter ZIP code, city or state
Do you need a printed copy of our provider directory? If so, please call Member Services 1-855-463-0933 (TTY: 711), 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.
The list of covered drugs and/or pharmacy and provider networks may change throughout the year. We will send you a notice before we make a change that affects you. If you are looking for a specific provider and cannot find them online, or if the provider you are looking for does not appear to be accepting new patients, please call Member Services. We can help.
BetterHelp is an online counseling platform that connects users with a licensed, experienced therapist for remote teletherapy sessions. Virtual visits are conducted on your time and in the convenience of your home, car, or wherever you like via live video, phone, or chat sessions.
BetterHelp works for those looking for general mental health counseling or therapy for a diagnosed mental health disorder. How long you stay with BetterHelp depends on your mental health needs, budget, and lifestyle. This could equate to a few weeks, a few months, or an extended period of several months. According to our reviews team’s April 2022 survey of 1,000 online therapy users, most BetterHelp customers (38 percent) used the service for four to eight months. Of the rest, 24 percent used it for eight to 12 months, 23 percent used it for four months or less, and 15 percent used it for at least one year.
You can access the BetterHelp platform via its website or its mobile app, which you can use to manage your account, schedule appointments with your online therapist, and contact customer service.
Therapy Session Format
The weekly subscription cost for BetterHelp online therapy includes unlimited messaging and one live chat, phone, or video session per week, which gives you the freedom to choose the telehealth format that works best for you. Some people change the format each week depending on their mental health needs.
In general, each live session lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. The exact session length will be determined by both you and your therapist, though BetterHelp confirmed with our reviews team that the average session length is 30 minutes.
Unlimited Messaging
With BetterHelp online therapy, messaging is not a real-time form of communication like video is. Instead, it works like email. It’s available 24 hours a day, but that doesn’t mean your BetterHelp counselor will respond right away. In fact, according to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, only 50 percent of BetterHelp users received a response within a day. Of the rest, 17 percent received responses within a few days, 25 percent received responses within a week, and 8 percent said it regularly took more than a week for their therapist to respond. Your therapist will work with you to establish when and how often they will reply to messages.
You will receive an email when your counselor sends you a message. Messaging can be a convenient feature between live video, phone, or chat sessions when you have a quick question or need to check in with your therapist. It also creates an ongoing conversation you can reference at any time.
If you are concerned about your privacy, it may be useful to know that BetterHelp also allows you to “shred” messages you send to your therapist. Once shredded, it will no longer be visible in your account. You cannot delete messages from your therapist.
Live Chat
The live chat feature on BetterHelp’s online therapy platform is a lot like text messaging. You will be in a private, secure online therapy room with your BetterHelp counselor, and you’ll both be able to type questions and responses. Live chat can be a good option for users who prefer text over live video or phone sessions, especially if they are concerned about privacy.
Plus, you can always go back and read over the conversation, since the chat session will remain in the therapy room until you cancel your subscription.
Live Phone Sessions
You can schedule a live phone session with your counselor the same way you schedule a chat or video appointment on the BetterHelp app. Some people prefer the convenience and relative anonymity of this communication preference.
If you choose to speak with your therapist over the phone, you will log in to your therapy room at your scheduled time. Once logged in, your therapist will prompt you to start the phone session, and the system will request your phone number. The system will dial your number, and once you answer, it will connect you with your therapist to start the phone session. BetterHelp will not share your phone number with your therapist.
Live Video Sessions
The closest thing to an in-person counseling session is a live video appointment. As with chat and phone sessions, you need to schedule a video therapy session with your therapist. You will meet via video through your online counseling room. According to our reviews team’s online therapy survey, 66 percent of BetterHelp members used its video therapy option. The second most popular option was live chat, followed by phone therapy.
Group Webinars
BetterHelp users are able to join group sessions called Groupinars, which are therapist-led educational seminars on different mental health-related topics. Once you sign up for a membership, you will have access to a calendar that displays the sessions and topics for the week, including communication skill-building, identifying unhealthy behaviors, and building resiliency, among others. The “chat” function is available, so you will be able to ask questions at any time. Therapists will either answer questions live or at the end during a Q&A session. Every Groupinar is recorded and available for registrants for one week after it’s hosted.
