WOW! Great news: Formulary enhancements for 2023
Starting in 2023, many of the top medications taken by Aetna Medicare members will be on a lower drug tier, Tiers 1 and 2. In fact, nearly 300 drugs are moving to a lower drug tier.
This includes drugs for asthma, depression, anxiety, and more. And many drugs for high blood pressure and high cholesterol are already on Tiers 1 and 2.
What’s the big deal？
These formulary updates may help members save on prescription costs.
For example, some of the Tier 3 drugs moving to Tier 2 include:
- a) ALBUTEROL SULFATE HFA (asthma, COPD)
- b) ESCITALOPRAM OXALATE (depression, anxiety)
- c) CELECOXIB (pain relief, inflammation)
- d) BUPROPION HYDROCHLORIDE ER (XL) (depression, smoking cessation)
Other fun facts
- a) We’ve down-tiered nearly 300 drugs across each of our formularies: B2: 294; B4/B4+: 279; B5: 278
- b) Improved the volume of Tier 1 and 2 drugs on our MAPD formularies by 45% (compared with 2022)
- c) Nearly 8 in 10 members will continue to have access to $0/$0 Tier 1 and 2 copay structure
- d) Added ~10 new drugs to MAPD formularies including popular drugs such as:
- i) Eligard (prostate cancer)
- ii) Gemtesa (overactive bladder)
- iii) Lantus (diabetes)*
- iiiv) Toujeo (diabetes)*
- v) Truxima (biosimilar, rheumatoid arthritis)
*Drug already on B5+ in 2022
