One Hundred and Three (103) New Generic Equivalents Added to Medicare Part D formularies in April 2018

The full list of new generics is further down on this page, but here are some interesting additions to the 2018 Medicare Part D (PDP) and Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD) formularies:

What Could the Addition of New Generic Drugs Mean to You?

• You may be able to save money by switching from the brand-name drug to its generic equivalent – with your prescriber’s approval and a new prescription.  Please note, you will need to look carefully at coverage costs as we have found that many 2018 generics are being offered on the same tier as their brand-name equivalent or the generics do not have a significantly lower retail price.  For example, the brand-name Emend (40 mg) may be a Tier 4 drug (45% co-insurance) and the same plan may now cover the generic equivalent APREPITANT 40 MG CAPSULE also as a Tier 4 drug (45% co-insurance).  You can click here to see how your Medicare drug plan is covering these medication.
  
  
• Your brand-name drug may no longer be available if a generic is now available.  Based on past experience, you may find that many Medicare Part D plans discontinue coverage for the brand-name drug in the months following the introduction of the generic equivalent.  If you have received notice from your Medicare Part D plan that your brand-name medication will be dropped, you should speak with your prescriber to determine if you can take the generic equivalent or if you must continue taking the brand-name drug, you will need to ask your plan for a formulary exception to continue coverage for your brand-name drug.  You can click for a chart showing the trends in formulary coverage for some of the more popular Medicare drugs and their generic equivalents.