Back to Insights and Updates for ProvidersNovember 2024

2025 medical benefit step therapy program

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Commercial  |  Tufts Health Direct  |  Tufts Health Plan Commercial  |  Tufts Health Together

Effective for fill dates on or after Jan. 1, 2025, a new medical benefit step therapy program will apply for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Commercial products, Tufts Health Plan Commercial products, Tufts Health Direct, and Tufts Health Together. The goal of the program is to encourage the use of the least costly alternatives across a variety of therapeutic areas. The new coverage requirements will apply to patients initiating therapy with a non-preferred product.

Preferred and non-preferred products associated with the medical benefit step therapy program for Commercial products and Tufts Health Direct are as follows:

Drug class Non-preferred product(s) Preferred product(s)
Acromegaly

 

Signifor LAR

Somatuline Depot

lanreotide

lanreotide (cipla)

Sandostatin LAR

 

Antiemetics Akynzeo

Aponvie

Cinvanti

Emend

Focinvez

Sustol

fosaprepitant

granisetron

ondansetron

palonosetron

 

Bendamustine HCI Injection Bendeka

Treanda

Vivimusta

bendamustine

Belrapzo

Iron Preparation, Parenteral Feraheme

Injectafer

Monoferric

Ferrlecit

Infed

Venofer

Leucovorin / LEVOleucovorin Injection Fusilev

Khapzory

LEVOleucovorin

leucovorin injection
Pemetrexed Alimta

Pemfexy

Pemrydi

Pemetrexed (all manufacturers)
Retinal Disorders Beovu

Byooviz

Cimerli

Eylea

Lucentis

Susvimo

Visudyne

Avastin
Eylea HD

Vabysmo

Avastin

Eylea

Ranibizumab

Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection Zilretta Triamcinolone acetonide injection

For Tufts Health Together, the following will apply:

Drug Class Non-preferred product(s) Preferred product(s)
Antiemetics Akynzeo

Aponvie

Cinvanti

Emend

Focinvez

Sustol

fosaprepitant

granisetron

ondansetron

palonosetron

 

Iron Preparation, Parenteral Feraheme

Injectafer

Monoferric

Ferrlecit

Infed

Venofer

Leucovorin / LEVOleucovorin Injection Fusilev

Khapzory

LEVOleucovorin

leucovorin injection
Pemetrexed Alimta

Pemfexy

Pemrydi

Pemetrexed (all manufacturers)
Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection Zilretta Triamcinolone acteonide injection

For more information, please refer to our Medical Benefit Step Therapy Program Medical Necessity Guidelines (MNG) for Harvard Pilgrim Commercial, Tufts Health Plan Commercial, and Tufts Health Direct, as well as the equivalent MNG for Tufts Health Together, which you can find on the Medical Benefit Drug Medical Necessity Guidelines page on Point32Health’s provider website.


Annmarie Dadoly,
Senior Manager, Provider Communications

Joseph O’Riordan,
Editor

Susan Panos, Ellen Gustavson, Ryan Francis, Stephen Wong,
Writers

Kristin Edmonston,
Production Coordinator

Kristina Cicelova,
Graphic Designer