Some prescription medications may require specialty handling, administration, or require ongoing clinical monitoring. These medications are most commonly used for complex, chronic conditions, and they are often very costly.
In recent years, the use of these specialty drugs has significantly increased. To ensure that specialty drugs remain affordable for our members, Blue Cross NC contracted with a network of pharmacies committed to providing better pricing on specialty drugs. The network helps to deliver these medications directly to member or providers.
Specialty medications are most commonly used for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. These drugs are generally high-cost drugs, ranging from approximately $6,000 to $350,000 per patient, per year. Most specialty drugs are injectable and require special handling and administration. Specialty drugs are not limited to a specific copayment or coinsurance tier, but can be found in all formulary tier levels.
In recent years, the use of specialty drugs has increased significantly and along with that, the cost of covering those drugs. To ensure that specialty drugs remain affordable for our members, Blue Cross NC has contracted with a new network of pharmacies committed to providing better pricing on specialty medications.
With this specialty retail drug network there may be a limited number of pharmacies dispensing these medications. Since some pharmacies may choose not to participate in the specialty drug network, you may need to transfer your prescription for specialty drugs to a participating local pharmacy or mail order pharmacy. Please refer to the pharmacy list.
You can transfer any remaining refills on a prescription from your current pharmacy to a participating specialty drug network pharmacy by providing your prescription information to the new pharmacy. The new pharmacy will either transfer the prescription or obtain a new prescription for you by contacting your physician.
No, specialty medications are all name brands and not currently available as a generic.
The majority of specialty medications are covered under your medical benefits and administered in a medical office; however, some specialty medications may be oral or self-administered and are covered by your pharmacy benefits. Only the specialty medications covered by your pharmacy benefits will be included in this network.
If you have a health savings account or coinsurance plan, when you visit a new network pharmacy, your costs may actually be lower. If you have a copayment plan, you will not see an increase in your out-of-pocket cost as long as you visit a pharmacy participating in the specialty drug network.
Yes. When new medications become available in the therapeutic classes they will be added to the list. Please refer to the specialty medications list.
You may want to consider mail-order delivery of your specialty medication. There are many specialty pharmacies available that will mail your prescription to your home, under refrigeration, if necessary, and will also provide specialty services such as adherence monitoring and refill reminders.
Blue Cross NC members who currently have pharmacy benefits and use specialty drugs, must use the specialty drug network in order for their prescriptions to be covered. This does not impact Blue Medicare Rx℠, North Carolina State Health Plan or Federal Employee Program (FEP) members.
Additional pharmacies may join the network at any time. Please continue to refer to the pharmacy list to check for updates.
What qualifies a specific drug or therapy to be classified as a specialty pharmaceutical is not clearly defined. However, the following factors help define a specialty drug:
Specialty drugs are most commonly used for chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Most specialty drugs are injectable and require special handling and administration. Specialty drugs are not limited to a specific copayment or coinsurance tier but can be found in all formulary tier levels. Review our Specialty Pharmacy Drug List (PDF) to see if a drug must be filled at one of the specialty network pharmacies.
Specialty drugs can be covered under a member’s pharmacy benefit or medical benefit, depending on the administration (self-administered or provider-administered).
If a specialty drug is prescribed, members may have to use a certain specialty pharmacy to obtain their medication. Preferred specialty pharmacies vary by plan. Participating specialty pharmacies will provide the following services:
Review the specialty drug list to see if a drug must be filled at one of the specialty network pharmacies. To locate a participating specialty network pharmacy, please search the Specialty Pharmacy List (PDF).
This does not impact Blue Medicare Rx℠, North Carolina State Health Plan (SHP) or Federal Employee Program (FEP) members.
The specialty pharmacy network is also contracted to provide specialty drugs for provider administration to Blue Cross NC members. These medications are typically covered under the member’s medical benefit. These pharmacies bill Blue Cross NC directly, making administering specialty injectable drugs easier for providers and members.
The Office-Administered Specialty Pharmacy Network is available to supply providers with select specialty injectable drugs for the treatment of Blue Cross NC patients. With this network, providers can have member-specific, dose-specific drugs delivered directly to their office, and the network vendors will bill Blue Cross NC directly for the drug.
The Office-Administered Specialty Pharmacy Network will:
Before you use the Office-Administered Specialty Pharmacy Network, remember:
Be advised that certain self-administered drugs have been excluded from Blue Cross NC's medical benefits but are covered under the prescription drug benefit. In instances when a patient requires assistance with the administration of these drugs, providers can continue to file for administration fees; however, Blue Cross NC will no longer provide reimbursement to physicians for the designated self-administered drugs.
Medicare Supplement subscribers are excluded. Please continue to obtain injectable drug for these patients through your current process.
The following office–administered specialty drugs may have medical policies or require prior plan approval. For each drug class, each ingredient name is listed with its brand name equivalents in parentheses.
Self–administered specialty drugs covered under the prescription drug benefit must be filled by a pharmacy in the Specialty Pharmacy Network. Certain self–administered drugs have been excluded from Blue Cross NC's medical benefits but are still covered under the prescription drug benefit.
Some of these drugs listed below may require prior review.
When filing a specialty pharmacy drug with an unclassified HCPCS code, the appropriate NDC # must be included on the claim.
These Specialty Pharmacy Drugs (PDF) are covered under the medical benefit and administered in the provider office. This list applies to all participating in-network providers.
The Blue Cross NC Hemophilia Network creates an improved and integrated experience for members that self-administer their hemophilia drugs by allowing specialty pharmacies that meet specific clinical and other criteria to dispense those drugs. The goal of the network is to proactively manage our members with hemophilia in order to lower overall costs and create an individualized and exceptional member experience.
Effective April 1, 2021, all specialty medications for the treatment of hemophilia and other bleeding disorders must be dispensed through a pharmacy participating in this network. All commercial members, including self-insured members who have an exclusive specialty pharmacy provider, must fill hemophilia medications at a pharmacy participating in the new hemophilia network.
View a list of pharmacies participating in our Hemophilia Network through our Specialty Pharmacy List (PDF).
Blue Cross NC has partnered with Free Market Health (FMH) to launch an innovative specialty pharmacy program for our ACA and Commercial members. The new program orchestrates and optimizes the specialty drug fulfillment process to improve care quality, open fair access to our network pharmacies, and decrease drug costs.
View the list of specialty drugs managed by the FMH program (PDF).
Specialty pharmacies participating in the FMH program gain:
To participate in the FMH program and continue servicing Blue Cross NC ACA and Commercial members after October 1, 2023, network pharmacies must sign an addendum/contract with Free Market Health.
The specialty pharmacy matched to the referral will reach out to the prescriber office to obtain the prescription, and prescribers may notice new specialty pharmacies servicing their patients. The assigned pharmacy has Blue Cross NC’s authorization to service the referral.
The specialty drug referral process under FMH is managed and streamlined to decrease the time it takes for members to receive their medications, monitor first fills, and reduce medication abandonment for members in need of and authorized for a specialty drug. Members are also serviced by a specialty pharmacy capable and accountable to meet their needs with focused care management that improves the patient experience.
Specialty pharmacies wanting more information on the Free Market Health program or in need of program assistance can contact the FMH team at 877-787-0520 or via email at Support@FreeMarketHealth.com.
For all other inquiries, including member support questions, please contact Blue Cross NC at 800-214-4844 or PNC.SpecialtyPharmUpdates@bcbsnc.com.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in its health programs and activities. Learn more about our non-discrimination policy and no-cost services available to you.
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