There are important features you should be aware of. These include:
- Who can write your prescription. A licensed physician or dentist, and in states allowing it, licensed certified providers with prescriptive authority prescribing within their scope of practice must prescribe your medications.
- Where you can obtain them. You may fill the prescription at a network pharmacy, (except for out-of-area emergencies), or by mail. Mail order medications are available through OptumRx. You may contact OptumRx at 866-528-5829, TTY 711 or visit their website at www.optumrx.com/mycatarmaranrx. Order forms are available from the Plan’s Customer Service Center or on our website at www.phs.org/fehb (Click on Insurance Plans, Employer offered, Federal Employees, Mail Services).
Prescription Drugs/Medications
Prescription Drug/Medications Benefit (Outpatient)
Outpatient Prescription Drugs are a Covered Benefit when prescribed by your Provider. Refer to your Formulary for information on approved Prescription Drugs. For a complete list of these drugs, please see the PHP Commercial Large Group formulary list at www.phs.org/fehb (Click on Insurance Plans, Employer offered, Federal Employees, Mail Services).
You have the option to purchase up to a 90-day supply of Prescription Drugs/Medications at an In-Network Retail or Mail order pharmacy. Under the 90-day at Retail Pharmacy benefit, Preferred Generic, Preferred Brand and Non-Preferred Drugs can be obtained from an In-network Pharmacy. Formulary medications maybe limited to 30-day supplies for Non-Extended Day Supply (NEDS) and Schedule II controlled substances. If you choose the 90-days at retail option, you will be charged one Copayment per 30-day supply up to a maximum of a 90-day supply.
For more information contact our Presbyterian Customer Service Center at (505) 923-5678 or 1-800-356-2219, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hearing impaired users may call our TTY line at 711. You may also email us at askpharmacy@phs.org.
What is a Formulary?
A drug Formulary, or preferred drug list, is a continually updated list of medications and related products supported by current evidence-based medicine, judgment of physicians, pharmacists and other experts in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and preservation of health.
The primary purpose of the Formulary is to encourage the use of safe, effective and most affordable medications. Presbyterian Health Plan administers a closed Formulary, which means that non-formulary drugs are not routinely reimbursed by the plan. Medical exceptions policies provide access to non-formulary medication when Medical necessity is established.
The medications listed on the Formulary are subject to change pursuant to the management activities of Presbyterian Health Plan. For the most up-to-date formulary drug information visit www.phs.org/fehb. Presbyterian will provide material that contains in a clear, conspicuous and readily understandable form, a full and fair disclosure of the plan’s benefits, limitations, exclusions, conditions of eligibility and prior authorization requirements, within a reasonable time after enrollment and at subsequent periodic times as appropriate.
Can the Formulary change during the year?
The Formulary can change throughout the year. Some reasons why it can change include:
- New drugs are approved.
- Existing drugs are removed from the market.
- Prescription drugs are removed from the market.
- Prescription drugs may become available over the counter (without a prescription).
- Brand-name drugs lose patent protection and generic versions become available.
- Changes based on new clinical guidelines.
If we remove drugs from our Formulary, add quantity limits, prior authorization, and/or step therapy restrictions on a drug; or move a drug to a higher cost-sharing tier, we must notify affected members of the change at least 60 days before the change becomes effective.
How is the Formulary drug List Developed?
The medications and related products listed on the Formulary are determined by a Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P & T) Committee or an equivalent entity. The Presbyterian Health Plan P & T Committee is made up of primary care and specialty physicians, clinical pharmacists and other professionals in the health care field.
The P & T Committee reviews and updates the Formulary list each quarter (four times per year). Medications chosen for the Formulary are selected based on their safety, effectiveness and overall value. A medication may not be added to the Formulary if current drugs on the Formulary are equally safe and effective and are less costly. Utilization management strategies such as quantity limits, step therapy and prior authorization criteria are reviewed and approved by the P & T Committee.
Medication coverage criteria is updated and reviewed to reflect current standards of practice. The overall goal of the P & T Committee is to provide a Formulary that gives members access to safe, appropriate and cost-effective medications that will produce the desired goals of therapy at the most reasonable cost to the member and health care system.
What is Prior Authorization?
Prior Authorization is a clinical evaluation process to determine if the requested Health Care Service is Medically Necessary, a Covered Benefit, and if it is being delivered in the most appropriate health care setting. Our Medical Director or other clinical professional will review the requested Health Care Service and, if it meets our requirements for Coverage and Medical Necessity, it is Authorized (approved) before those services are provided.
The Prior Authorization process and requirements are regularly reviewed and updated based on various factors including evidence-based practice guidelines, medical trends, Practitioner/Provider participation, state and federal regulations, and our policies and procedures.
- Continuation of therapy using any drug is dependent upon its demonstrable efficacy
- Note that the prior use of free prescription medication (i.e. Samples, free goods, etc.) will not be considered in the evaluation of a member’s eligibility for medication coverage
Prescribed drugs will be considered for coverage under the pharmacy benefit when all of the following are met:
- The medication is being prescribed for an FDA approved indication OR the patient has a diagnosis which is considered medically acceptable in the approved compendia* or a peer reviewed medical journal
- The patient does not have any contraindications or significant safety concerns with using the prescribed drug
If the patient does not meet the above criteria, the prescribed use is considered Experimental or Investigational for Conditions not listed in this section of Evidence of Coverage.
The approved compendia includes:
- American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Compendium
- IBM Micromedex Compendium
- Elsevier Gold Standard’s Clinical Pharmacology Compendium
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network Drugs and Biologics Compendium
What is Step Therapy?
Step Therapy promotes the appropriate use of equally effective but lower-cost Formulary drugs first. With this program, prior use of one or more “prerequisite” drugs is required before a step-therapy medication will be covered. Prerequisite drugs are FDA-approved and treat the same condition as the corresponding step-therapy drugs.
What are Quantity Limits?
Formulary drugs may also limit coverage of quantities for certain drugs. These limits help your doctor and pharmacist check that the medications are used appropriately and promote patient safety. Presbyterian uses medical guidelines and FDA-approved recommendations from drug makers to set these coverage limits. Quantity limits include the following:
- Maximum Daily Dose limits quantities to a maximum number of dosage units (i.e. tablets, capsules, milliliters, milligrams, doses, etc.) in a single day. Limits are based on daily dosages shown to be safe and effective, and that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Quantity Limits over time limits quantities to number of units (i.e. tablets, capsules, milliliters, milligrams, doses, etc.) in a defined period of time.
Drug Utilization Review and Drug use evaluation programs
DUR is a review of patient data which is done to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and appropriateness of medication use. These Drug Utilization Reviews occur during claim adjudication and determines whether it is likely to cause harm based on interaction with other drugs or based on the member’s age, gender, allergies or other drugs on the member’s pharmacy profile. The DUR reviews often alert clinicians about prescribing and drug regimen problems and about patients who may be inappropriately taking medications that can produce an undesirable reaction or create other medical complications.
Generic Drugs
The Health Insurance Exchange Metal Level Formulary covers both brand-name drugs and generic drugs. A generic drug is approved by the FDA as having the same active ingredient and may be substituted for the brand-name drug. Generally, generic drugs cost less than brand-name drugs.
Brand Name drugs when a generic Equivalent is Available
A generic equivalent will be dispensed if available. If your prescriber requests to dispense a brand-name drug when a generic equivalent is available, the request will require a Medical Exception.
If Medical necessity is established the non-preferred drug copay plus the difference between the brand-name and the generic drug will apply. Otherwise, brand-name drugs dispensed when a generic equivalent is available are not covered and will not count towards the deductible or annual out-of-pocket maximums.
Some medications may qualify for third-party copayment assistance programs which could lower your out-of-pocket costs for those products. For any such medication where third-party copayment assistance is used (Discount Cards or Prescription Drug Savings Cards), the Member shall not receive credit towards their maximum out-of-pocket or deductible for any copayment or coinsurance amounts that are applied to a manufacturer coupon or rebate.
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
We will provide Coverage for preventive medications and products as defined by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), if you receive these services from our In-network Practitioners/Providers, without Cost Sharing regardless of sex assigned at birth, gender identity, or gender of the individual.
Preventive medications are used for the management and prevention of complications from conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, heart attack and stroke.
For preventive medications (including over-the-counter medications) or products to be Covered, a pharmacy claim will need to be submitted. Present your ID card to the dispensing pharmacy for processing and billing information. Visit the Formulary listing at www.phs.org/fehb (Click on Insurance Plans, Employer offered, Federal Employees, Mail Services). Preventive medications will be listed as $0 Copay per PPACA.
Behavioral Health Drugs at zero cost share
Formulary prescription drugs used for the treatment of mental illness, behavioral health, or substance abuse disorders when obtained from a behavioral health specialist maybe covered at no cost share. Coverage at no cost share is subject to applicable benefit plans. Refer to the formulary listing at http://docs.phs.org/idc/groups/public/documents/communication/pel_00199170.pdf for additional coverage details.
Daily Cost Share
Daily cost share reduces the patient pay for the prescription that is less than the standard defined day supply. Exclusions may include drug products for acute therapy, unbreakable packages and controlled substances.
Insulin for Diabetes Cost Sharing Cap
The copay amount for a preferred formulary prescription insulin or a medically necessary alternative will be covered at an amount not to exceed a total of twenty-five dollars ($25.00)* per thirty-day supply. *Copays are subject to deductible first.
Medication Synchronization
Medication Synchronization allows Members to refill all of their Prescriptions on the same day, eliminating the need for multiple trips to the Pharmacy each month. Prescriptions are filled for less than the normal prescribed day supply in order to align the refill date across multiple prescriptions, allowing all refills on the same day and time period.
Non-Extended Day Supply
Presbyterian has established protocols under the guidance of National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in an effort to ensure patients' safety for identified high-risk medications. Pursuant to this guidance, Presbyterian has limited the maximum allowed day supply down to 30 days at a time for medications that fall into this high-risk category. These drugs are found in the Commercial 4 Tier formulary as Non-Extended Day Supplies.
Orally Administered Anti-Cancer Medications
This Plan provides coverage for orally administered anti-cancer medication used to slow or kill the growth of cancerous cells. Coverage of these medications are subject to the same Prior Authorization requirements as intravenously administered injected cancer medications covered by the Plan. Orally administered medications cannot cost more than an intravenously injected equivalent. Intravenously injected medications cannot cost more than orally administered medications.
Self-Administered Specialty Pharmaceuticals
Self-Administered Specialty Pharmaceuticals are self-administered, meaning they are administered by the patient, a family member or caregiver. Specialty Pharmaceuticals are often used to treat complex chronic, rare diseases and/or life-threatening conditions. Most Specialty Pharmaceuticals require Prior Authorization and must be obtained through the specialty pharmacy network. Specialty Pharmaceuticals are often high costs, typically greater than $600 for up to a 30-day supply.
Specialty Pharmaceuticals are not available through the retail or mail order option and are limited to a 30-day supply. Certain Specialty Pharmaceuticals may have additional day supply limitations.
For a complete list of these drugs, please see the Specialty Pharmaceutical listing at PHP Commercial Large Group formulary list at www.phs.org/fehb
Office Administered Specialty Pharmaceuticals (Medical Drug)
A Medical Drug is any drug administered by a Health Care Professional and is typically given in the member’s home, physician office, freestanding (ambulatory) infusion suite, or outpatient facility. Medical Drugs may require a Prior Authorization and some must be obtained through the specialty network.
These drugs may be subject to a separate Copayment/Coinsurance to a maximum as outlined in your Summary of Benefits and Coverage. For a complete list of Medical Drugs to determine which require Prior Authorization please see the Presbyterian Pharmacy website at http://docs.phs.org/idc/groups/public/%40phs/%40php/documents/phscontent/pel_00052739.pdf.
What if my Drug is not Covered
You or your doctor can ask us to make an exception (prior authorization) to our coverage rules. We will work with your prescriber to get additional information to support your request. There are several types of exceptions that you can ask us to make.
- You can ask us to cover your drug even if it is not on our formulary.
- You can ask us to waive coverage restrictions or limits on your drug. For example, for certain drugs, we limit the amount of the drug that we will cover. If your drug has a quantity limit, you can ask us to waive the limit and cover more.
Mail Order Pharmacy
You have a choice of obtaining certain Prescription Drugs/Medications directly from a Pharmacy or by ordering them through the mail. Under the mail order pharmacy benefit, Preferred and non-Preferred medications can be obtained through the Mail Order Service Pharmacy. You may purchase up to a 90-day supply up to the maximum dosing recommended by the manufacturer. You may obtain more information on the Mail Service Pharmacy by calling our Presbyterian Customer Service Center at (505) 923-5678 or 1-800-356-2219, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. TTY users may call 711.
Certain drugs may not be purchased by mail order, such as Self-Administered Specialty Pharmaceuticals.
Member Reimbursement
If a medical Emergency occurs outside of our Service Area and you use an In-network Pharmacy, you will be responsible for payment of the appropriate Copayment. We have a large, comprehensive pharmacy network; however, if you go to an Out-of-network Pharmacy, and they are unable to process the claim at point of service you may pay for the prescription and may request Presbyterian Health Plan to reimburse you. A Pharmacy Specialist will review and process your request for reimbursement based on the negotiated rate between Presbyterian Health Plan and the dispensing pharmacy minus any copay or coinsurance that may apply. Members will not be liable to a provider for any sums owed to the provider by Presbyterian.
The Pharmacy Specialist needs the following information to determine reimbursement amounts. Please submit a Member Reimbursement Form and attach the itemized cash register receipt and the prescription drug detail (pharmacy pamphlet) along with the following information:
- Patient Name
- Patient’s Date of Birth
- Name of the drug
- Quantity dispensed
- NDC (National Drug Code
- Fill Date
- Name of Prescriber
- Name and phone number of the dispensing pharmacy
- Reason for the purchase (nature of emergency)
- Proof of Payment
Member Reimbursement forms are available by calling our Presbyterian Customer Service Center at (505) 923-5678 or 1-800-356-2219, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. TTY users may call 711. Please follow the mailing instructions on the Member Reimbursement Form.
A Pharmacy Services Call Center is available 24 hours a day to providers, pharmacies and members to address pharmacy benefit questions. Please contact PCSC at 1-800-356-2219 or email askpharmacy@phs.org.