Medicaid programs have long had the authority to exclude specific classes
of drugs from coverage, including benzodiazepines. Yet 41 of the 50 states
cover benzodiazepine prescriptions through Medicaid or another state drug
program. The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of
2003 goes one step further, making the exclusion mandatory.
These are the nine categories of medications that may be excluded under
Medicaid and must be excluded from coverage under Medicare Part D: