Before the storm
Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans set their own refill timing, and a weather forecast doesn't change it. What you can do:
- Refill on the first day your plan allows. Don't wait until you're down to your last pills in December or January.
- Ask about 90-day supplies or mail order for drugs you take every day. Ask whether your plan allows them; they mean fewer trips on icy roads.
- Keep a medicine list with each drug, dose, prescriber and pharmacy, and a photo of your plan card.
- Plan for refrigerated drugs such as insulin: ask how long they last without power.
After a declared disaster
When an emergency or disaster is declared for your area, Medicare.gov says your plan can help you replace lost or damaged drugs, find another network pharmacy, use an out-of-network pharmacy when you can't reasonably reach one in network, and get a 60- or 90-day supply. CMS's disaster training guide says plans may relax "refill too soon" restrictions so you can replace drugs that were lost, damaged or destroyed. Out of network you'll probably pay full price, so keep receipts and ask the plan to pay you back.
Ohio's emergency refill law
Ohio Revised Code 4729.281 (effective June 1, 2022) applies any time, not only in disasters. A pharmacist may dispense a drug without a new prescription if all of these are true:
- the pharmacy has a record of your prescription, but no refills remain or the refill time has run out;
- the pharmacist can't reach your prescriber or another prescriber responsible for your care;
- in the pharmacist's judgment, the drug is essential to sustain your life or continue therapy for a chronic condition, and going without could harm you.
The default is a one-time 72-hour supply. For non-controlled drugs you've taken consistently, a pharmacist can do it up to three times in 12 months: first up to a 30-day supply, then up to 7 days. Schedule II drugs, such as many opioid pain medicines, are excluded. The pharmacist decides the amount and must notify your prescriber within 72 hours.
More in winter storms, floods and Medicare in Ohio and Part D in Ohio. To review drug coverage from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent.
Related questions
Generators and oxygen
Planning for power outages.
Medicare after a flood
Replacing drugs, equipment and cards.
Disaster special enrollment period
Changing plans after a disaster.
Sources
- Ohio Revised Code 4729.281 — Conditions for refill of prescription
- State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy — Dispensing of an emergency refill of medication without a prescription
- Medicare.gov — Getting care in a disaster or emergency
- CMS — Replacing DME and Prescription Drugs after a Disaster
More questions in this guide
- Does Medicare cover telehealth in rural Ohio?
- Does Medicare pay for a generator for oxygen or medical equipment?
- Does Medicare pay for an air ambulance in Ohio?
- Is there a Medicare special enrollment period after a disaster in Ohio?
- What happens to my Medicare after a flood in Ohio?
- What is a rural emergency hospital in Ohio?
- What Medicare options are there in Appalachian Ohio?
Part of the guide: Medicare in Rural and Appalachian Ohio · All questions
Frequently asked questions
How much can an Ohio pharmacist give me without a new prescription?
Under ORC 4729.281, usually a one-time supply of up to 72 hours. For a non-controlled drug you take consistently, up to three times in 12 months, not back to back: first up to 30 days, then up to 7 days. Schedule II drugs are excluded.
Will my Part D plan pay for an emergency refill?
Ohio's law requires health insurers to cover these fills when they cover the drug, according to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. For a Medicare Part D plan, ask the plan; after a declared disaster, CMS expects plans to cover replacement prescriptions.
What about insulin if the power goes out?
Ask your pharmacist now how long your insulin keeps without refrigeration. If it's ruined in an outage, tell your pharmacy and drug plan. Part D-covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply.
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