Medicare AdvantageDecember 23, 2024
Specialty Pharmacy Precertification and Step Therapy list expansion
Effective for dates of service on or after April 1, 2025, the specialty Medicare Part B drug listed in the table below will be included in our precertification review process.
Federal and state law, as well as state contract language and CMS guidelines, including definitions and specific contract provisions/exclusions, take precedence over these precertification rules and must be considered first when determining coverage. Noncompliance with new requirements may result in denied claims.
HCPCS or CPT® codes | Medicare Part B drugs |
J1952 | Camcevi (leuprolide mesylate) |
J0175 | Kisunla (donanemab‑azbt) |
J3590 | Piasky (crovalimab‑akkz) |
J3590, J9999 | Tevimbra (tislelizumab‑jsgr) |
C9399, J3590 | Tyenne (tocilizumab‑aazg) |
Notification of Specialty Pharmacy Medical Step Therapy updates
Effective February 1, 2025, the following Part B medications from the current Clinical Criteria Guidelines will be included in our medical step therapy precertification review process. Step therapy review will apply upon precertification initiation, in addition to the current medical necessity review (as is current procedure). Step therapy will not apply for members who are actively receiving medications listed below.
Clinical UM Guidelines are publicly available on the provider website. Visit the Clinical Criteria page to search for specific criteria.
Clinical UM Guidelines | Preferred drug(s) | Nonpreferred drug(s) |
CC‑0003 | Intravenous: Gamunex‑C1 Octagam
Subcutaneous: Cutaquig Hizentra Xembify | Intravenous: Alyglo Asceniv Bivigam Flebogamma DIF Gammaked1 Gammagard1 Gammagard S/D Gammaplex Panzyga Privigen
Subcutaneous: Cuvitru HyQvia |
1 Gamunex‑C,Gammaked, and Gammagard may be administered intravenously or subcutaneously.
In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area): Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
MULTI-BCBS-CR-071026-24-CPN70592
PUBLICATIONS: January 2025 Provider Newsletter
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