Prescription drug coverage updates and recalls
From time to time, a health insurance plan’s formulary—the list of drugs selected by a health insurance company that represents medications believed to be a necessary part of a quality treatment program—is updated to add or remove medications. We’ve provided a list of past and present changes to help you determine if changes have been made concerning your prescriptions.
Changes to Geisinger Health Plan formularies
Check this page regularly to keep up with the latest changes to Geisinger Health Plan’s formularies.
New drugs are added to the formularies on a regular basis. You can find these additions in our member newsletters, and they’re also posted here in PDF format for your convenience.
Geisinger Gold policies
2021 pharmacy prior authorization policies | standard Rx | $0 deductible Rx (updated Jan. 29, 2021/effective Feb. 1, 2021)
2021 step therapy policies | standard Rx | $0 deductible Rx (updated Jan. 29, 2021/effective Feb. 1, 2021)
Changes to the Geisinger Gold standard Rx formulary (effective Feb. 1, 2021)
Changes to the Geisinger Gold $0 deductible formulary (effective Feb. 1, 2021)
Commercial, Marketplace and GHP Kids policies
You can view or print a copy of the Commercial, Marketplace and GHP Kids pharmacy benefit prior authorization policiesGHP Family policies
You can print a copy of the GHP Family Formulary (updated 1/29/2021) or you can request a printed copy over the phone.
If we remove drugs from our formulary, or add prior authorization, quantity limits and/or step therapy restrictions on a drug or move a drug to a higher cost-sharing tier, we must notify affected members of the change (30 days for employer coverage and GHP Family; 60 days for other plans) before the change becomes effective, or at the time the member requests a refill of the drug.
If the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems a drug on our formulary to be unsafe or the drug’s manufacturer removes the drug from the market, we will immediately remove the drug from our formulary and provide notice to members who take the drug.
Prescription drug recalls
Geisinger Health Plan promptly identifies and notifies members and their prescribing physicians when the FDA notifies us of a Class I or Class II drug recall. We send notifications to members who received the recalled medication using their pharmacy benefits.
Class I recall
This type of recall is in cases where there is a reasonable probability that use of, or exposure to, the medication will cause serious adverse health effects or death.
Class II recall
With this class of recall, a medication has been found to cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or in remote cases, serious adverse health effects.
The FDA website provides news about recent drug recalls, updates on market withdrawals of medications and safety alerts.
Related information
Learn more about Geisinger Health Plan.
Search for covered drugs and pharmacies
Find drugs in our formulary and search for pharmacies near you.