The Basic Drug List applies to our BlueSpectrumSM Basic plans. It includes all generic drugs and some preferred and non-preferred brand-name drugs. For some of the preferred and non-preferred brand-name drugs, members must try generic drugs first. A group of doctors and pharmacists chooses the drugs for the Basic Drug List. They also choose the drugs that require a generic trial.
If a brand-name drug is not on the Basic Drug List, BlueSpectrum Basic plans do not cover it. For these drugs, members will pay 100 percent of our special discounted rates or the pharmacy's charge, whichever is less. We encourage members to talk to their doctors about generic and brand-name drugs that are on the Basic Drug List. Use the drug lookup tool to search for a specific drug. (This link leads to a third party Web site. RxEOB, an independent company, is solely responsible for the contents and privacy policy on its site.)
The Basic Drug List is subject to change at any time, but we generally make updates on a quarterly basis. When a new generic drug becomes available, we add it to the Basic Drug List right away. In most cases, we also remove its brand-name counterpart from the List.
Keeping up with preferred drug lists for all your patients can be challenging. With electronic prescribing, it’s easier than ever to access patient eligibility, complete medication histories and preferred drug list information for all your patients at the point of care. The Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act requires ePrescriptions for Medicare patients beginning in 2012. And bonus incentives from Medicare began in 2009, so now is a great time to start!
