September 19, 2017
On Sept. 7, 2017, the North Carolina Department of Insurance issued Bulletin 17-B-04 relating to prescription drug procedures during a declared state of emergency. A state of emergency was proclaimed for the entire state of North Carolina on Sept. 7, 2017, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma. Under NC law, during such a state of emergency, an individual covered under a plan may obtain one refill on a prescription if there are authorized refills remaining, or fill one replacement prescription for one that was recently filled. Insurance companies are required to have a procedure in place to waive time restrictions on filling those prescriptions, and the prescription must be requested within 29 days of the bulletin. Although the bulletin and procedures are directed toward insurers, employers should be aware of the bulletin in case employees have questions on prescription refills relating to the state of emergency.
Bulletin 17-B-04 »