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Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy – Tropical Storm Bertha Preparation – July 2026
Act
by Jul 28, 2026
Effective date
Jul 20, 2026
Identified
Jul 22, 2026
Summary
Louisiana Medicaid is temporarily waiving early refill edits and automatically extending all prior authorizations for non-controlled pharmacy claims through July 28, 2026, to help beneficiaries maintain medication access during Tropical Storm Bertha. These emergency flexibilities apply to both Fee-for-Service and Managed Care Organization claims but explicitly exclude controlled substances.
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What to do
by Jul 28, 2026 · 7 steps
01Billing team must update pharmacy claim submission procedures to reflect temporary policy changes.
02Process early refill requests for non-controlled medications without standard refill edit denials for all Louisiana Medicaid FFS and MCO claims.
03Recognize that all previously approved prior authorizations are automatically extended through July 28, 2026 and do not require resubmission or new authorization requests for non-controlled drugs.
04Continue to apply all existing controls and requirements for controlled substance refills and prior authorizations—do NOT waive early refill edits or extend prior authorizations for controlled substances.
05Billing staff should flag and segregate controlled substance claims to ensure they follow normal approval procedures.
06After July 28, 2026, revert to standard early refill edits and prior authorization renewal requirements.
07Contact the appropriate FFS pharmacy help desk (800-437-9101) or MCO PBM for plan-specific guidance on claim submission during this emergency period.
Original notice
Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy – Tropical Storm Bertha Preparation – July 2026
ldh.la.gov · Always check the source before changing claims.