Texas Children's Health Plan will be closed on Monday, September 1st, in observance of Labor Day. In our absence, you can reach our after-hours nurse help line at 1-800-686-3831. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, September 2nd. Wishing you a safe and happy Labor Day!
Texas Children's Health Plan estará cerrado el lunes 1 de septiembre por el Día del Trabajo. Durante nuestra ausencia, puedes comunicarse con nuestra línea telefónica de ayuda fuera del horario habitual al 1-800-686-3831. Reanudaremos nuestro horario regular el martes 2 de septiembre. ¡Te deseamos un feliz y seguro Día del Trabajo!
New Rewards Coming Soon!¡Se vienen nuevas recompensas!
Our Healthy Rewards Program is getting an update in September! For a sneak peek of all the changes - including new rewards and ways to redeem them - please click here.
¡Nuestro Programa Healthy Rewards tendrá su actualización en septiembre! Para ver un adelanto de todos los cambios, incluyendo nuevas recompensas y formas de canjearlas, haz clic aquí.
Updates to the Preferred Drug List (PDL) for Androgenic agents, Macrolides-Ketolides, Antiviral, Bronchodilator and Growth Hormone drug classes
Date: November 8, 2023
Attention: All Providers
Effective Date: October 31, 2023
Call to action: Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) moved select medication(s) listed below to “preferred” status due to various drug shortages at this time. We are notifying providers more options to prescribe your members if they cannot obtain their current medication(s).
A summary of the changes is included below.
Impacted medications(s)
Preferred medication
Type of change
Effective Date
Androgel [B]
Testosterone Gel (TOPICAL) [G]
Generic now preferred
October 16, 2023
Valcyte [B]
Valganciclovir solution (ORAL) [G]
Generic now preferred
October 16, 2023
Nordotropin [B]
Omnitrope* (SQ) [B]
Other Growth Hormone(s) available
October 16, 2023
Genotropin [B]
Skytrofa* (SQ) [B]
Xopenex [B]
Levalbuterol solution [G]
Generic now preferred
October 31, 2023
Eryped [B]
Erythromycin solution [G]
Generic now preferred
November 7, 2023
* These medications also have a clinical prior authorization requirement. [B] Signals the medication is brand name [G] Signals the medication is generic
How this impacts providers: This change will allow providers to prescribe the preferred medication to your patients without requiring PDL prior authorization. Some of the preferred medications may continue to require clinical prior authorizations.
Next steps for providers: Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) encourages providers to switch existing patients to the preferred medication so there is no disruption in patient’s therapy. The preferred drug list (PDL) can be found on the VDP website: https://www.txvendordrug.com/formulary/preferred-drugs
