Medicare Advantage organizations, Medicare Part D plans, and Medicare-Medicaid managed care plans have been directed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to waive cost-sharing for testing and treatment of the novel coronavirus.

This news was transmitted to those payers in a March 10 letter from CMS.

The directive also authorizes Medicare Advantage plans to waive coronavirus-related telehealth fees and authorizes Part D plans to relax refill-too-soon limits, provide maximum expended day supplies of prescription drugs, reimburse enrollees for prescription drugs obtained from out-of-network pharmacies, ease prior authorization limits on drugs prescribed to treat patients with the disease, and encourage greater use of home or mail delivery of such drugs when appropriate.

Learn more from CMS’s letter to Medicare Advantage organizations, Medicare Part D plans, and Medicare-Medicaid managed care plans.