Prescription drugs are covered in two ways—through the Highmark BCBSWNY pharmacy benefit or via medical benefit. The method of coverage depends on whether the drug is self-administered or administered by a health care professional at home (ex. home infusion therapy) or given in a clinical setting like a doctor’s office.
Drugs that are only administered to members by healthcare professionals are available under the medical benefit and can be obtained in several ways:
Note: CVS Specialty® is an independent company providing pharmacy services on behalf of Healthy Blue.
For more information on self-administered prescription drugs and pharmacy benefit coverage please visit the Highmark BCBSWNY pharmacy page.
Highmark BCBSWNY is pleased to announce a drug delivery option that enhances medication accessibility to both members and providers. Highmark BCBSWNY is contracted with CVS Specialty® as the MSP. CVS Specialty® can deliver member specific medication that is covered under the Highmark BCBSWNY medical benefit to your office for administration to the member.
To set up delivery or check a prescription order status please call 877-254-0015 and you will be transferred to a pharmacist for a verbal prescription order. Please plan to provide your member's Highmark BCBSWNY ID located on their ID card. Staff will obtain additional information necessary to support the delivery of the medication, including the need by date. Please allow up to 10 days for processing and shipping. The staff will then make an outbound call to your member to obtain consent as needed to support the delivery of the medication to your office. Once all necessary information is obtained for shipping, the staff will make an outbound call to your office to confirm delivery.
You may also fax prescription orders to 866-336-8479, and a staff member will call your office to obtain additional information necessary to support the delivery of the medication as described above.
Note: If it is an urgent medication request and the need by date is less than 7 days from the order date, please indicate this, so the order can be expedited.
Some medications require precertification before they can be paid. Please review the precertification lookup tool for a listing of covered drugs and any associated requirements. If prior authorization is required, you may request precertification by phone, fax, or electronically.
To ensure timely review of the prior authorization request, please include the servicing medical specialty pharmacy and provider name during the prior authorization intake.
Phone: 866-231-0847
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm EST; Saturday, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm EST
Medical injectables: 844-493-9206
Electronic prior authorization requests can be submitted through CoverMyMeds, an independent company providing medication precertification services on behalf of Highmark BCBSWNY.
CoverMyMeds streamlines the medication precertification process, electronically connecting providers, pharmacists, and plan/Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to improve time to therapy and decrease prescription abandonment with electronic prior authorization.
Prescribers can view real-time status of any medication precertification request submitted via ePA, phone, or fax by logging into the CoverMyMeds website and entering the member’s information. Prescribers also have the option to contact CoverMyMeds directly by calling 866-452-5017 for questions, information, or website concerns, or via live chat on the CoverMyMeds website.
Home infusion therapy is the administration of prescription legend drugs through intravenous, intraspinal, epidural, or subcutaneous routes from the comfort of the member’s home. HIT is prescribed by a physician that both the physician and Highmark BCBSWNY have determined to be medically necessary and must supervised by a qualified health care professional to the member in their residence.
To find an in-network HIT provider please use our Find a pharmacy tool.
To request or check the status of a prior authorization request or decision, access our Interactive Care Reviewer (ICR) tool via Availity. Once logged in, select Patient Registration | Authorizations & Referrals, then choose Authorizations or Auth/Referral Inquiry as appropriate.