Provider Alerts

Outpatient pharmacy benefits were transitioned to Medi-Cal Rx on 1-1-2022. Due to the
benefit transitioning, some medications are paid for by Medi-Cal Rx and some are paid for by the Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ). Medi-Cal Rx and HPSJ may request providers to bill specific injectable medications to Medi-Cal Rx. The Medi-Cal Rx Provider Manual also (https://medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/cms/medicalrx/staticassets/documents/provider/forms-and-information/manuals/MediCal_Rx_Provider_Manual.pdf) provides further details of medications and DME covered by Medi-Cal Rx.

EFFECTIVE June 23, 2023, the fourth wave of Phase III goes live in which an additional 46 therapeutic classes will require Prior Authorization (PA) for any new starts. Specific details can be found at the following page:
30-Day Countdown – Phase III, Lift 4: Retirement of the Transition Policy for Beneficiaries 22 Years of Age and Older (ca.gov)

Medi-Cal Rx has also created a dedicated reinstatement web page that will provide weekly updates regarding Phases II, III, and IV. The web page can be found at https://medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/home/education/ and then selecting the “Medi-Cal Rx Reinstatement” tab. The specific list of therapeutic classes that will be reimplemented with each phase/wave can also be found in this tab in the resources section.

In the event that a dispensing pharmacy obtains a “Reject Code 816 – Pharmacy Drug Benefit Exclusion” notification when billing to Medi-Cal Rx, the pharmacy or provider may submit a PA request to Medi-Cal Rx for consideration of an exception to bill the drug through the pharmacy benefit. If Medi-Cal Rx continues to deny coverage through the pharmacy benefit, consideration by the provider should be made to submit a PA to HPSJ for consideration of coverage under the medical benefit.

Methods to distinguish whether a medication would be billed through the Pharmacy Benefit (billed to Medi-Cal Rx), or the Medical Benefit (billed to HPSJ) are listed below.

Pharmacy Benefit – Medication is processed through a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) at a dispensing pharmacy location. This applies to the following sample pharmacy types: retail, specialty, long-term-care, mail-order, compounding, etc. If a PA is required then visit https://medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov/cms/medicalrx/staticassets/documents/provider/bulletins/2022.01_A_PA_Submission_Reminders.pdf for various methods to send a PA to Medi-Cal Rx.

Medical Benefit – Medication is already currently in stock at the provider’s office (buyand bill) or within the facility administering the medication (e.g. outpatient infusion centers). If a PA is required then send a Medical Authorization form to HPSJ – https://www.hpsj.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Medical-Authorization-9_2022-updated_fillable.pdf.

For any further questions that Medi-Cal Rx is unable to assist in resolving, please contact the HPSJ Pharmacy Department at 209.461.2212 to leave a secure voicemail that will be returned within one business day.