Call your medical and pharmacy benefits to see if this medial supply is covered.

After several months, the patient may reach the $3,000 limit on his pharmacy benefit.

That includes broader pharmacy benefits and earlier notice of coverage being discontinued, among other things.

In 1990, he founded Benecard Services, a company that manages pharmacy benefits.

At the heart of the pharmacy benefit management business is a list, or formulary, of preferred drugs.

The nation's pharmacy benefits managers handle about 75 percent of the $235 billion spent on prescriptions every year.

Mr. Crawford became chief executive in 1998 and focused on the pharmacy benefits management business.

One concern was that a drug maker could underbid rivals, based on inside information obtained from its pharmacy benefits unit.

The drug plans provide pharmacy benefits, but do not pay for doctors or hospitals.

A draft copy of the report was obtained yesterday from a Washington trade group that is critical of the pharmacy benefit management companies.