Update regarding drugs not approved by the FDA

Empire continually monitors and updates the list of drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which are considered non-covered under prescription drug benefits. When drugs are added to this list, Empire notifies impacted members that the drug is not FDA approved and will no longer be covered.

 

Effective December 1, 2018, these drugs were added to our list of drugs not approved by the FDA.

 

For new members just beginning an Empire plan or not yet having used one of these non-FDA-approved drugs, coverage for these drugs ended December 1, 2018.

 

Existing members who had been identified as already using at least one of the drugs added to the list received a letter to let them know their drug(s) will no longer be covered after December 31, 2018. However, if the patient had a prior authorization for a drug on this list, coverage for that drug continued until the prior authorization expired on December 31, 2018.