Providers are reminded that, effective April 1, 2008, federal legislation requires that prescriptions for Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus members that are not telephoned, faxed, or electronically transferred to a pharmacy be written or printed on tamper-resistant prescription pads or computer paper. To assist with facilitation of this new requirement, the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services is currently offering a limited supply of free tamper-resistant prescription pads and computer paper to Medicaid-certified prescribers.
Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Requirement
Effective April 1, 2008, federal legislation requires that all written and computer-generated prescriptions that are given to Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus members to take to a pharmacy must be written or printed on tamper-resistant prescription pads or computer paper. The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) has made available a limited supply of free prescription pads and computer paper through its contracted vendor, Standard Register. Medicaid-certified prescribers may request up to five free prescription pads or one ream of computer paper. There is a limited supply of the free pads and computer paper available, and they will be distributed as the requests are received. Providers will only be required to pay the shipping costs for the free pads or computer paper.
How to Request the Free Prescription Pads
To request the free tamper-resistant prescription pads, providers must complete and submit an order form to Standard Register. The order form is available for download from the Medicaid Web site at dhfs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid/whats_new.htm#medicaid/ and from the Standard Register Web site at www.securescrip.com/. Completed orders may be faxed or placed over the telephone to Standard Register at the following numbers:
- Fax: (866) 869-3971.
- Telephone: (866) 741-8488.
Additional Information
Providers are not required to use the state-supplied prescription pads to be compliant with the new tamper-resistant prescription pad requirement. For additional information on the required features for tamper-resistant prescription pads or computer paper, refer to the September 2007 Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare Update (2007-65), titled “Tamper-Resistant Prescription Pad Requirement.”
Pharmacy Consolidation
Effective for dates of service on and after February 1, 2008, the DHFS changed the way pharmacy services for members enrolled in BadgerCare Plus HMOs, SSI HMOs, and most special managed care programs are reimbursed.
Pharmacy services and some drug-related supplies for managed care members will be reimbursed by fee-for-service.
The federal requirements for the use of tamper-resistant prescription pads or computer paper apply to all members receiving pharmacy benefits through Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus fee-for-service. The managed care exemption in the federal legislation does not apply to members receiving their drug benefit through fee-for-service.
Prescription drugs and related services for members enrolled in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and the Family Care Partnership (formerly the Wisconsin Partnership Program) will remain unchanged.
