November 20, 2023
Step Therapy programs are developed by Wellcare's P&T Committee. They encourage the use of therapeutically equivalent, lower-cost medication alternatives (first-line therapy) before “stepping up” to alternatives that are usually less cost-effective.
Step Therapy programs are intended to be a safe and effective method of reducing the cost of treatment by ensuring that an adequate trial of a proven safe and cost-effective therapy is attempted before progressing to a more costly option. First-line drugs are recognized as safe, effective, and economically sound treatments.
The first-line drugs on Wellcare’s formulary have been evaluated through the use of clinical literature and are approved by Wellcare’s P&T Committee. Step therapy is failure of at least one different or less expensive drug prior to coverage of a drug on this list.
Drugs requiring step therapy effective January 01, 2024 are listed below. The prescriber, patient, or authorized representative may ask for an exception. Step therapy applies if the drug has not been used in the past 365 days.
Download the Medicare Part B Step Therapy Drug List (PDF), effective January 01, 2024.
