Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

Citations used in this letter come from Section 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations which you will find abbreviated as 42 CFR with the corresponding section numbers, i.e., 42 CFR Sections 423.578, 423.100.Coverage is available under Medicare Part B for prescription drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy furnished to a beneficiary who has received an organ transplant, provided the beneficiary receiving the drug was enrolled in Medicare Part A at the time of the organ transplant. 42 CFR ?410.30; Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, ?50.5.1.Medicare Part B local policy states that prescription drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy are covered if I) they are prescribed following a transplant, II) the transplant met Medicare coverage criteria in effect with respect to the facility being approved for transplant, III) the patient was enrolled in Medicare Part A at the time of the transplant, IV) the patient is enrolled in Medicare Part B at the time the drugs are dispensed and V) the drugs are furnished on or after the date of discharge. CGS Administrators, LLC, Policy Article for Immunosuppressive Drugs (A52474).Medicare Part B local policy states that immunosuppressive drugs are covered only for the specific labeled indications and approval for marketing by the FDA (bp 102 c15, ?50.5.1). Parenteral Belatacept (Nulojix) is not proven to be safe when administered in the home setting and therefore will be denied as not medically necessary when provided in that setting. CGS Administrators, LLC, Local Coverage Determination for Immunosuppressive Drugs (L33824).A Part D plan is permitted to use a number of different tools to manage its formulary. One of these tools is known as prior authorization. This process requires an enrollee to obtain coverage approval for a drug before the drug is dispensed and covered by the plan. 70 Federal Register No. 18, issued January 28, 2005 (Preamble to Final Rule).The Part D Plan contract states that its Part D drug coverage cannot cover a drug that would be covered under Medicare Part A or Part B. The Plan requires prior approval (also called prior authorization) before covering some prescription drugs. If prior approval is not obtained, the Plan may not cover the drug. Please refer to the Plan's Evidence of Coverage.Medicare law defines those drugs that may be covered under Part D. A covered prescription drug must be used for a medically accepted indication. A medically accepted indication means a use that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or a use supported by one or more citations in the drug compendia approved by Medicare. Medically accepted indications do not include uses in research or uses described in peer-reviewed medical literature. Please refer to Social Security Act, Sections 1860D-2(e)(1) and 1927(k)(6); and 42 CFR Section 423.100. A Part D plan must grant an exception for a drug that is not on its formulary whenever it determines that the drug is medically necessary, consistent with the prescriber's statement, and that the drug would be covered but for the fact that it is not on the formulary. The statement must show that all of the covered drugs on any tier of the plan's formulary for treatment of the enrollee's condition would not be as effective as the non-formulary drug or would have adverse effects for the enrollee. 42 CFR Section 423.578(b).If a drug is not on the formulary (drug list), an enrollee can ask the Plan to make an exception and cover the drug. The Plan will make an exception for coverage if it determines that the requested drug is medically necessary, consistent with the prescriber's statement. Please refer to the Plan's Evidence of Coverage (EOC).