New Benefits Year Rolls Out Oct. 1
The 2025-2026 benefits year at Cook Children’s offers our employees a wide range of support for your health, mental health, financial wellness and lifestyle.
You’ll find medical, dental, vision, retirement, disability, life insurance, leave of absence, mental health resources and much more listed in the Cook Children’s Benefits Guide. The year runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026. Let’s unpack some highlights:
*new this year Capital Rx prescription drug coverage, now with the option to fill your prescriptions at Cook Children’s pharmacy locations
*new this year Glasses and contacts every year for everyone on the Superior Vision plan
*new this year Three new digital tools to support mental well-being, sleep quality and exercise
Employee assistance program (EAP) through Uprise Health, providing confidential counseling sessions and 24-hour crisis help
Pre-diabetes, blood pressure and weight management
Child care, pet insurance, legal services, student loan refinancing, emergency travel benefit and other lifestyle benefits
Plus, much more!
Cook Children's invests more than $200 million annually in employee benefits, an amount that covers the vast majority of the cost for our employees. It’s an investment in health and well-being that reflects our ongoing dedication to you and your family.
“Benefits are very personal, and the level of importance can vary greatly for employees,” said James Cuva, Assistant Vice President for Benefits. “We strive to continue to evolve our benefits programs to meet the ever-changing needs of our employees and support a dynamic organization.”
James and his team stay abreast of industry trends, emerging programs and benchmark data to inform and support the benefits strategy at Cook Children’s. Consistent evaluation of our programs helps ensure two priorities: benefits that matter to you, and cost management for the system.
“Our goal is to provide competitive and highly valued benefits to be well positioned to attract and retain employees,” he said.
Here’s a closer look at the new Capital Rx pharmacy benefit and how it impacts you.
What is Capital Rx? A leading pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) that partners with organizations to administer pharmacy benefits for employees. It’s a relatively new and innovative vendor, offering greater price transparency, cost savings, technology and a high level of service for members.
Advantages? Convenience. Capital Rx provides a broad network of pharmacies. Our employees also have the option to fill their prescriptions at Cook Children’s retail pharmacies in Fort Worth and Prosper, as well as Dodson Specialty Pharmacy.
Capital Rx also offers better management of increasing costs for prescription drugs. One of the most significant cost drivers of the overall benefits budget is pharmacy spending – a cost that is expected to increase 8-10% annually.
“Moving to Capital Rx is a great example of how we continue to ensure solid financial stewardship while also providing significant value to our employees,” James said.
Who played a role? Input came from stakeholders within Cook Children’s as well as external consultants. Various departments contributed from their area of expertise, including Pharmacy, Legal (contracting process) and Finance (analysis on cost savings).
Ozioma Olowu, Chief Pharmacy Officer, said the process of implementation has benefited from the collaboration. “It was most certainly a team effort,” she said.
Bottom line? Cook Children’s Pharmacy and Capital Rx are ready to support our staff and answer your questions during the transition.
“Patience and grace are always appreciated,” Ozioma said. “We reviewed claims data and adjusted our inventory to prepare, but there will be medications that we will have to order. The good news is most medications come to us next business day, and if it’s a maintenance medication we will work with you to ensure we keep it in stock.”
Here’s a brief overview of business hours, how to transfer your prescriptions and other tips for using Capital Rx at Cook Children’s retail pharmacies.