Insurance Coverage

(A) Managed Care Organizations. The MassHealth agency does not pay pharmacy claims for services to MassHealth members enrolled in a MassHealth managed care organization (MCO) that provides pharmacy coverage through a pharmacy network or otherwise, except for family planning pharmacy services provided by a non-network provider to a MassHealth MCO enrollee (where such provider otherwise meets all prerequisites for payment for such services). A pharmacy that does not participate in the MassHealth member’s MCO must instruct the MassHealth member to take their prescription to a pharmacy that does participate in such MCO. To determine whether the MassHealth member belongs to an MCO, pharmacies must verify member eligibility and scope of services through POPS before providing service in accordance with 130 CMR 450.107: Eligible Members and the MassHealth Card and 450.117: Managed Care Participation. (B) Other Health Insurance. When the member’s primary carrier has a preferred drug list, the prescriber must follow the rules of the primary carrier first. The provider may bill the MassHealth agency for the primary insurer’s member copayment for the primary carrier’s preferred drug without regard to whether the MassHealth agency generally requires prior authorization, except in cases where the drug is subject to a pharmacy service limitation pursuant to 130 CMR 406.413(C)(2)(a). In such cases, the prescriber must obtain prior authorization from the MassHealth agency in order for the pharmacy to bill the MassHealth agency for the primary insurer’s member copayment. For additional information about third party liability, see 130 CMR 450.101: Definitions. (C) Medicare Part D. (1) Overview. Except as otherwise required in 130 CMR 406.414(C)(2) and (3), for MassHealth members who have Medicare, the MassHealth agency does not pay for any Medicare Part D drugs, or for any cost-sharing obligations (including premiums, copayments, and deductibles) for Medicare Part D drugs, whether or not the member has actually enrolled in a Medicare Part D drug plan. Medications excluded from the Medicare Part D drug program continue to be covered for MassHealth members eligible for Medicare, if they are MassHealth-covered medications. (2) Medicare Part D One-time Supplies. The MassHealth agency pays for one-time supplies of prescribed medications, as described in 130 CMR 406.414(C)(2), if the medication is a MassHealth-covered medication and the MassHealth member would otherwise be entitled to MassHealth pharmacy benefits but for being eligible for Medicare prescription drug coverage. MassHealth prior authorization does not apply to such one-time supplies. The MassHealth agency pays for the one-time supplies in all instances in which the pharmacist cannot bill a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan at the time the prescription is presented. The MassHealth agency pays for a one-time 72-hour supply of prescribed medications. (3) Cost-sharing Assistance for MassHealth Members Enrolled in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. For the purpose of 130 CMR 406.414(C)(3), the “applicable MassHealth copayment” is the copayment the MassHealth member would pay for prescription drugs if the drugs were covered by MassHealth and not covered by Medicare Part D. MassHealth members who are enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and are charged a copayment or deductible in excess of the member’s applicable MassHealth copayment for a drug that MassHealth would otherwise cover, must pay the applicable MassHealth copayment, and the MassHealth agency pays the difference between the applicable MassHealth copayment and the amount charged by the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.