Certain topical lidocaine products won’t be covered, effective May 1, 2018

To address the high cost of drugs and provide the best value for our members, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network commercial plans are making some changes to the drugs we cover.

We’ll no longer cover certain topical lidocaine products, effective May 1, 2018. Affected members can continue to fill prescriptions through April 30, 2018, but they’ll be responsible for the full cost after this date.

The following table includes the products that aren’t covered, effective May 1, and over-the-counter alternatives that are available for members without a prescription:

Prescription drug not covered beginning May 1, 2018

Lidocaine jelly 2%

Lidocaine ointment 5%

Over-the-counter alternatives

Lidocaine gel 2%, 4%

Lidocaine ointment 2%, 4%, 5%

As part of this ongoing initiative, Blue Cross and BCN will continue to identify select drugs and stop covering them when more cost-effective or over-the-counter alternatives are available for our commercial members.

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*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2017 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.