Under New York State Education Law, Article 137 §6807, practitioners who are authorized to prescribe can dispense medications directly to their patients. Additional registration or ownership of a pharmacy is not required. This dispensing must be done in accordance with federal, state, and New York State Medicaid program policies for dispensing, billing, and record keeping.

In an effort to reduce costs while maintaining high safety, efficacy, and quality standards, we are implementing new prior authorization (PA) requirements on select medical benefit oncology medications for members enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. For members enrolled in these plans, select biosimilars will be the preferred medications.

Based on feedback received from prescribing providers related to notification review/preauthorization requirements for medical specialty drugs, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield will update its requirements for commercial fully insured members effective January 1, 2023.