The Board of Trustees Friday approved changes to the university health care plan regarding coverage of maintenance medications.

Maintenance medications are defined as those taken daily and having consecutive refills expected to continue for at least 90 days.

Most employees currently pay 10 percent of the cost for generic drugs and 20 percent for nongenerics after reaching deductibles.

Employees who use maintenance medications will continue to pay those rates if they order 90-day supplies from the university's pharmacy benefit manager, Caremark, which also charges less for the prescription and does not charge for dispensing or shipping medications.

William McCune, university controller, said 10 to 20 percent of a lower-cost medication will mean less money paid out by employees. Employees who continue to buy 30-day supplies of maintenance medications from pharmacies will pay at least 25 percent of the cost for generics and 35 percent for nongenerics.

"Caremark will be contacting all employees who may be affected by this change," McCune said. "They will offer help in the ordering process and in contacting doctors to request they write 90-day prescriptions. In addition, they have a toll-free telephone number and a special Web site to order online. A variety of payment options are available."