Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

Also known as Medicare Part D, Medicare Prescription Drug plans must cover a wide range of prescription drugs that people with Medicare take, including most drugs in certain protected classes,” like drugs to treat cancer or HIV/AIDs. Information about a plan’s list of covered drugs (called a “formulary”) isn’t included in this handbook because each plan has its own formulary. Many Medicare drug plans and Medicare health plans with drug coverage place drugs into different levels called “tiers” on their formularies. Drugs in each tier have a different cost. For example, a drug in a lower tier will generally cost you less than a drug in a higher tier.

Medicare Prescription Drug plans may have the following coverage rules:

Opioid pain medication safety checks

Prior Authorization

You and/or your prescriber must contact your plan before you can fill certain prescriptions. Your prescriber may need to show that the drug is medically necessary for the plan to cover it. Plans may also use prior authorization when they cover a drug for only certain medical conditions it is approved for, but not others. When this occurs, plans will likely have alternative drugs on their list of covered drugs (formulary) for the other medical conditions the drug is approved to treat.

Quantity limits 

For safety and cost reasons, plans may limit the amount of prescription drugs they cover over a certain period of time. For example, most people prescribed heartburn medication take 1 tablet per day for 4 weeks. Therefore, a plan may cover only an initial 30-day supply of the heartburn medication.

If your prescriber believes that, because of your medical condition, a quantity limit isn’t medically appropriate (for example, your doctor believes you need a higher dosage of 2 tablets per day), you or your prescriber can contact the plan to ask for an exception

Step therapy

Step therapy is a type of prior authorization. In most cases, you must first try a certain, less expensive drug on the plan’s formulary that’s been proven effective for most people with your condition before you can move up a “step” to a more expensive drug. For instance, some plans may require you first try a generic drug (if available), then a less expensive brand-name drug on their drug list before you can get a similar, more expensive, brand-name drug covered.

However, if your prescriber believes that because of your medical condition it’s medically necessary for you to be on a more expensive step therapy drug without trying the less expensive drug first, you or your prescriber can contact the plan to request an exception.

Your prescriber can also request an exception if he or she believes you’ll have adverse health effects if you take the less expensive drug, or if your prescriber believes the less expensive drug would be less effective. Your prescriber must give a statement supporting the request. If the request is approved, the plan will cover the

Part D vaccine coverage

Except for vaccines covered under Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), Medicare drug plans must cover all commercially available vaccines (like the shingles vaccine) when medically necessary to prevent illness.

Drugs you get in hospital outpatient settings

In most cases, the prescription drugs you get in a hospital outpatient setting, like an emergency department or during observation services, aren’t covered by Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). These are sometimes called “self-administered drugs” that you would normally take on your own. Your Medicare drug plan may cover these drugs under certain circumstances.

You’ll likely need to pay out-of-pocket for these drugs and submit a claim to your drug plan for a refund. Or, if you get a bill for self-administered drugs you got in a doctor’s office, call your Medicare drug plan for more information.

For information about Opioid pain medication safety checks 

Party D late enrollment penalty 

The late enrollment penalty is an amount that’s permanently added to your Medicare drug coverage (Part D) premium. You may owe a late enrollment penalty if at any time after your Initial Enrollment Period is over, there’s a period of 63 or more days in a row when you don’t have Medicare drug coverage or other creditable prescription drug coverage . You’ll generally have to pay the penalty for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage.

For more information about the Part D late enrollment penalty

JC Insurance Group represents several top name companies that offer Medicare Prescription Drug plans.

Let us review your prescriptions and help you find a plan that is going to best meet your prescription plan needs, click here to contact us or call us at (458) 205-8398.

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NOTE:
We do not offer every plan available in Oregon. Currently we represent 16 organizations which offer 138 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1–800–MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all of your options.