Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

Prior Authorization/ Utilization Management

Drugs you take may need prior approval, step therapy or have quantity limits. Find out how these work.

Older couple having discussion with their physician

Prior Authorization

Some drugs need to be approved by the plan before they are covered. This is so the plan can best guide the correct use of these drugs. Your doctor can help you get approval. To learn more about prior authorization, select the link below.

Prior Authorization Criteria and Form

Step Therapy

You may be asked to start treatment with a drug that costs less but works just as well (for example, a generic name drug) instead of starting with a drug that costs more. If the first drug doesn’t work for you, then the plan will cover the higher-priced drug. For more information about step therapy, select the link below.

Step Therapy Criteria and Form

Quantity Limits

There can be a limit on how much of a drug you’re allowed which can include how many pills you get with each prescription. These limits are based on safety guidelines. To learn more about quantity limits, select the link below.

Quantity Limits Exception Form

Drug Utilization Review

Blue Cross MedicareRx℠ conducts drug utilization reviews that help make sure you’re getting safe and proper care. They are very important if you have more than one doctor prescribing your medications. The review is done each time you fill a prescription, as well as on a regular basis. We look for issues such as:

  • Medication errors
  • A drug that may not be needed because you are taking another drug to treat the same medical condition
  • Drugs that are not right for you because of your age or sex
  • Possible harmful interactions between drugs you are taking
  • Drug allergies
  • Dosage errors

If we find a problem during the review, we’ll work with your doctor to fix it.