Get the district’s confirmed enrollment information
TRS directs employees of new districts to their Benefits Administrator for enrollment instructions and exact effective dates. Use that confirmation to create a transition note containing the old coverage end date, new plan name and new coverage start date.
Add already scheduled appointments to the note. If any date is unresolved, identify which benefits office will confirm it. Do not infer active coverage solely from a payroll change or a general plan-year calendar. Ask how to obtain current member information and when to give it to each treating office.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Check the appointment requirement for the new plan
The new-district FAQ says previous-plan referrals do not carry over. It also identifies in-network behavioral-health specialists as a referral exception. Ask a Personal Health Guide how the rule applies to your exact plan, clinician and proposed service instead of assuming all specialty appointments need the same paperwork.
Write the answer beside the specific appointment. If a new referral is required for any service, ask who submits it and how the receiving office confirms receipt. Keep network verification, referral requirements and the appointment booking as separate checks so a completed step does not obscure an unfinished one.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Ask about the prescription authorization handoff
TRS states that medication prior authorizations from the old plan do not transfer. Its instructions direct prescription-status questions to the pharmacy and Express Scripts, with a new authorization requested through the provider when required.
Give your pharmacy the confirmed new coverage information and ask what remains unresolved for each prescription. Tell the prescribing office about the transition and any expected timing problem. Ask the treating team to advise on a safe plan if access is uncertain. Do not change medication, doses or fill timing based on an administrative checklist.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Track the separate requests until each is resolved
Use one row per open item: enrollment, appointment referral, network question or medication authorization. Record the responsible office, date of contact, reference number if supplied and next action. A medical-benefit answer should not be assumed to resolve a pharmacy-benefit question.
If a practice says it has submitted something, ask the relevant plan contact how to confirm its status. If a response identifies missing information, send that request to the responsible office through its preferred channel. Keep a written decision or confirmation with the item it resolves, and ask about any remaining uncertainty before relying on it.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Your next-step checklist
- Obtain the district’s exact enrollment and effective-date instructions.
- List scheduled appointments and current prescription questions separately.
- Ask which appointment referrals apply under the new option.
- Confirm prescription status with the pharmacy and Express Scripts.
- Track any provider authorization request and discuss timing concerns with the treating team.
Keep personal, insurance and medical information in the appropriate organization’s approved secure channel.
Common questions
Do old medication prior authorizations transfer when the district joins?
TRS’s new-district FAQ says they do not. Ask the pharmacy, Express Scripts and prescribing office what new request is needed for the specific prescription.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Does every behavioral-health visit need a new PCP referral?
The FAQ lists an exception for in-network behavioral-health specialists. Ask the plan to confirm the rule for the exact clinician and service; other coverage checks still need their own answers.
Sources: TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs
Sources and verification
The sources below support the administrative information in this guide. Follow the responsible organization’s current instructions when requirements, forms or contact routes change.
- TRS: New to TRS-ActiveCare FAQs — checked .