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.  A Part D plan must have enough contracted retail pharmacies in its network to ensure that enrollees have adequate access to covered prescription drugs. Access to covered drugs from an out-of-network pharmacy is required when enrollees: (1) cannot reasonably be expected to obtain such drugs at a network pharmacy and (2) do not access covered drugs at out-of-network pharmacies on a routine basis. A plan is required to establish reasonable rules to appropriately limit out-of-network access to covered prescription drugs. 42 CFR Sections 423.120(a) and 423.124; Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 5, Section 60.1.   A Part D plan must have enough contracted retail pharmacies in its network to ensure that enrollees have adequate access to covered prescription drugs. Access to covered drugs from an out-of-network pharmacy is required when enrollees: (1) cannot reasonably be expected to obtain such drugs at a network pharmacy and (2) do not access covered drugs at out-of-network pharmacies on a routine basis. A plan is required to establish reasonable rules to appropriately limit out-of-network access to covered prescription drugs. 42 CFR Sections 423.120(a) and 423.124; Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 5, Section 60.1.  Vaccines administered in a physician's office or by other non-network providers may be covered under the out-of-network access rules. A Part D enrollee may self-pay for the vaccine cost and its administration and submit a paper claim for reimbursement to his or her Part D sponsor. 42 CFR Section 423.124; Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 5, Section 60.3.4.  For a drug to be covered under Medicare Part D, it must meet the definition of a Part D drug. The Social Security Act generally defines a Part D drug as a drug product that meets the following requirements:  -It requires a prescription for dispensing; and -It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness; and -It is prescribed for a medically accepted indication; and -It is not otherwise excluded from coverage under Part D law and rules. See Social Security Act, Sections 1860D-2(e)(1) and 1927(k)(2)(A)(i)-(iii); and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 6, Section 10.1.  The definition of a Part D drug does not include over-the-counter (OTC) products. OTC drug products are those drugs that are available to consumers without a prescription. The FDA?s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is the entity that oversees the designation and marketing of OTC drugs. Medicare Part D does not pay for OTC drug products. See rules noted above; and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 6, Section 10.10 and Chapter 7, Section 60.2.  The Plan will generally cover prescriptions only if they are filled at a Plan network pharmacy. Prescriptions filled at an out-of-network pharmacy may only be covered when a network pharmacy is not available. The Plan will typically cover prescriptions filled at an out-of-network pharmacy when the prescription is for a medical emergency or urgent care, when there are no 24-hour network pharmacies within a reasonable driving distance or when the prescription is for a drug that is out of stock at an accessible network pharmacy. Please refer to the Plan?s Evidence of Coverage (EOC). The Plan does not cover drugs/items excluded from Medicare Part D coverage. If you purchase drugs/items that are excluded, you must pay for them yourself.   The Part D Plan covers a number of vaccines (including vaccine administration) under the Part D benefit. The Plan?s coverage of a vaccine depends on the type of vaccine, where the enrollee gets the vaccine and who administers the vaccine. Note that in some cases, an enrollee may receive a vaccine outside of the Plan?s pharmacy network, and may have to pay for the entire cost of the vaccine and its administration. The enrollee can then ask the Plan to pay its share of the vaccine costs. For detailed information on how vaccines are reimbursed, please refer to the Plan?s Evidence of Coverage (EOC).