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April 2017

Specialty drug to be added to Medical Drug Prior Authorization Program July 1

Beginning July 1, 2017, one additional specialty drug will require prior authorization by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan before it will be covered under the member's medical benefits.

Prior authorization is just a clinical review approval, not a guarantee of payment. Providers will need to verify the necessary coverage for this medical benefit. Our office will accept the medical drug prior authorization request forms with supporting documentation for the newly added drug as early as June 15, 2017.

Starting July 1, 2017, the following drug will need prior authorization:

Drug name

HCPCS code

Zinplava™

J3490 / J3590

You can find medication request forms within the list of medications that require prior authorization on web-DENIS:

  • Click on BCBSM Provider Publications and Resources.
  • Click on Commercial Pharmacy Prior Authorization and Step Therapy forms.
  • Click on Physician administered medications (on the right side under Frequently Used Forms).

We won’t consider a request for coverage until we receive a physician-signed medication request form faxed or mailed to Blue Cross, or a request uploaded onto NovoLogix, an online-based tool. Standard processing time for request review is 15 days. An urgent request can be reviewed within 72 hours.

Below are all the medications that are part of the Medical Drug Prior Authorization Program.

Drug name

Drug name

Drug name

Drug name

Actemra®

Elaprase®             

Kalbitor®

Ruconest®

Acthar® gel

Elelyso™

Kanuma™

Signifor® LAR

Adagen®        

Entyvio™

Krystexxa®

Simponi Aria®

Aldurazyme®

Exondys 51™

Lemtrada™

Soliris®

Aralast NP™

Fabrazyme®

Lumizyme®

Stelara®

Aveed®

Firazyr®

Makena®

Stelara IV®

Benlysta®

Flebogamma® DIF

Myobloc®

Synagis®

Berinert®

Gammagard Liquid®

Myozyme®       

Testopel®

Bivigam™

Gammagard® S/D

Naglazyme® 

Tysabri®

Botox®

Gammaked®

Nplate®

Vimizim™

Carimune® NF

Gammaplex®

Nucala®

Vpriv®

Cerezyme®

Gamunex®

Octagam®

Xeomin®

Cimzia®

Glassia™

Orencia®

Xgeva®

Cinqair®

Hizentra®

Privigen®

Xiaflex®

Cinryze®

HyQvia®

Probuphine®

Xolair®

Cosentyx™

Ilaris®

Prolastin®-C

Zemaira®

Cuvitru®

Immune globulin

Prolia®

Dysport®

Inflectra™

Remicade®

Note: The prior authorization requirement doesn’t apply to Federal Employee Program® members.

Blue Cross reserves the right to change the prior authorization list at any time.

No portion of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, except that BCBSM participating health care providers may make copies for their personal use. In no event may any portion of this publication be copied or reprinted and used for commercial purposes by any party other than BCBSM.

*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2016 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.