October 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment
As of November 1, 2013, WellPoint will no longer pay for compounded medications that are made from bulk ingredients. WellPoint plans include Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
For a compound drug to be covered it must contain at least one ingredient/drug that requires a prescription to obtain. Additionally, that ingredient/drug must also be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drugs impacted include:
- Compounded bulk powders (not FDA approved)
- Pharmaceutical Adjuvants (compounding vehicles, not FDA approved)
Letters were mailed to all groups and individuals that will be affected by this change. Individuals that are impacted by this change will need to talk with their doctor about changing to a covered medication, or pay the entire cost.