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💊 How to Fax a Prior Authorization to a Drug Plan

📅 Updated October 2026 · 🇺🇸 Send from anywhere in the US
✦ Quick Answer

Use only the fax number printed on your plan's current prior authorization or coverage request form, or on the plan's own website, because every plan and form has its own number and some plans now take prescriber requests electronically only. A patient on a Medicare drug plan may send their own coverage request, but a formulary exception still needs a statement from the prescriber. A cover page plus a two-page request costs $2.99, and OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant, so it is meant for patients sending their own papers, not for doctors' offices.

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📋 In This Guide

  1. Who Can Send the Request
  2. Where to Find the Fax Number
  3. Entering the Plan's Fax Number
  4. What to Put on the Cover Page and Each Page
  5. How Fast the Plan Must Decide
  6. Cost, Your Record and a Failed Fax
  7. Getting the Decision Back
  8. Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Send the Request

In most cases the prescriber's office sends the prior authorization form, because the plan's form asks for clinical details and a prescriber signature. For example, the current CVS Caremark prior authorization form includes a line where the prescriber attests that the drug is medically necessary, and a signature line for the prescriber.

A patient can still act. Under the federal Medicare Part D rules, three people may ask a drug plan for a coverage determination: the enrollee, the enrollee's representative, or the prescriber on the enrollee's behalf. Medicare.gov says you or your prescriber can ask your plan for a coverage determination or an exception, but for an exception your prescriber must provide a statement explaining the medical reason. In Marketplace plans and other plans that cover essential health benefits, the enrollee, a person the enrollee chooses, or the prescriber may ask for an exception when a drug is not on the formulary.

The rule: OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign a business associate agreement (BAA). A doctor's office, clinic or pharmacy should not use it to send patient information. A patient may use it to fax their own request and their own records to their own plan.

Where to Find the Fax Number

There is no single prior authorization fax number. The right number is on the exact form your plan uses for your drug, on the plan's own website, or in the message the pharmacy received when your claim was rejected. Medicare.gov lists three ways to ask a Part D plan: the Model Coverage Determination Request form, a letter, or a phone call to the plan. It does not list a fax number, so the number has to come from your plan.

Numbers also change from plan to plan. The current Caremark global prior authorization form prints no fax number at all and asks prescribers to send requests electronically. The Caremark prior authorization page lists fax 1-855-633-7673 for Medicare Part D and fax 1-866-255-7569 for Medicaid, but no fax for commercial plans, and some plan-specific Caremark forms print a number of their own. If you saved a number from an older form, compare it with the current form before you send anything.

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Entering the Plan's Fax Number

Select United States and type all 10 digits of the fax number, starting with the area code. Do not type the leading 1, because +1 is added for you, and if you type a 1 the box removes it. The pay button turns on only when all 10 digits are in. A number printed as 1-855-633-7673 is entered as 8556337673. There is more help in how to fax a US number online, and you can send from a phone with the steps in how to fax from an Android phone.

What to Put on the Cover Page and Each Page

Prior authorization fax lines receive many requests every day, so make yours easy to match to your file. On the cover page, write the plan name, "Coverage determination request" or "Exception request", your full name, date of birth and member ID, the drug name and strength, your prescriber's name and phone number, whether you are asking for a standard or an expedited decision, your own phone number, and the total page count.

Put your name and member ID at the top of every page and number the pages, such as "Page 2 of 5". The Caremark form warns that demographic and drug information alone may not be enough, and it asks for relevant clinical documentation and for each drug already tried and why it did not work. If your prescriber has written a supporting statement, include it or ask the office to send it to the same plan.

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How Fast the Plan Must Decide

For Medicare Part D, the plan must decide a standard request no later than 72 hours after it receives it, and an expedited request no later than 24 hours after it receives it. For an exception, the clock starts when the plan receives the prescriber's supporting statement, and if no statement arrives within 14 calendar days, the clock starts at the end of those 14 days. If the prescriber says the standard time could seriously jeopardize your life, health or ability to regain maximum function, the plan must expedite; if only you ask, the plan decides.

Marketplace and other plans covering essential health benefits must decide a formulary exception within 72 hours, or 24 hours in exigent circumstances. Other employer plans have no single federal time limit that we found, so read your plan's letter or form. If a Part D plan says no, an appeal is a separate step, and you have 65 days from the date on the denial notice to ask for one.

Cost, Your Record and a Failed Fax

A cover page, a two-page request and one page of notes is 4 pages, which costs $3.98. With a cover page, the request form, a prescriber letter and two pages of clinical notes, 6 pages comes to $2.99 + 3 x $0.99 = $5.96. You see the total before you pay.

There is no account, nothing is printed on your document, and delivery usually takes a few minutes. When it goes through, you get a confirmation email with the destination number, the page count and the time in US Eastern Time, which is your record of exactly when it was sent. We found no official source saying plans confirm receipt of a fax, so keep that email. If the fax cannot be delivered, the full amount goes back to your card automatically, and you can check the number and send again.

Fax your request, $2.99

Getting the Decision Back

The plan sends you a decision notice. If the plan or your doctor's office wants to fax something back to you, our sister service GetAFax.com gives you a private US fax number for 24 hours for $5, for up to 30 pages, and each fax arrives in your email as a PDF. For plan appeals and other insurer paperwork, see how to fax your health insurance company, and for the full list of US guides, start at the US fax guide.

Why send it here

One price for the whole fax, shown before you pay, and nothing added at checkout.

Nothing is printed on your document. It arrives exactly as you uploaded it.

If it cannot be delivered, the money goes back to your card without you asking.

It works from anywhere in the US, in any browser, with no account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cost and what you get
How much does it cost to fax a prior authorization request to my drug plan?
$2.99 for up to 3 pages, and $0.99 for each extra page. A cover page plus a two-page coverage request is $2.99, and a 6-page packet with clinical notes is $5.96.
Can I fax a Part D coverage determination request for free?
Free fax services exist, but they usually cap the number of pages and print advertising on the cover page. For a request with your member ID and medical details, a clean fax for $2.99 with an emailed confirmation is the simpler choice.
Sending a fax
My pharmacy says my medication needs a prior authorization, can I fax the request myself?
Yes, if your plan allows it. On a Medicare Part D plan the enrollee, a representative or the prescriber may ask for a coverage determination, but an exception still needs the prescriber's statement explaining the medical reason.
What is the best way to fax clinical records to my insurance company for a drug prior authorization?
Send them to the fax number on your plan's current prior authorization form, with a cover page naming the drug and your member ID. Number every page and put your name and member ID on each one so the plan can match the records to your request.
Does Medicare.gov give a fax number for Part D coverage determinations?
No. Medicare.gov says you can use the Model Coverage Determination Request form, a letter, or a phone call to your plan, and the fax number comes from your plan's own form or website.
Does CVS Caremark still take prior authorization requests by fax?
It depends on the plan. The current Caremark global form prints no fax number and asks for electronic requests, while the Caremark prior authorization page lists fax numbers for Medicare Part D and Medicaid, so use the number on your plan's own form.
Is 888-836-0730 still the Caremark prior authorization fax number?
No. That number is not on the current Caremark global prior authorization form, which prints no fax number and asks for requests by ePA. Use the number on the form for your specific plan.
Can my doctor's office use OverseasFax to send my prior authorization?
No, it should not. OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign a BAA, so a prescriber's office should use its own system, while you as the patient may fax your own request.
My Part D plan needs a statement from my doctor for a formulary exception, can I fax my part first?
Yes. You may send your own request, but the plan's 72-hour or 24-hour clock for an exception starts when it receives your prescriber's supporting statement, or after 14 calendar days if none arrives.
Fax numbers and format
How do I type a drug plan fax number like 1-855-633-7673?
Select United States and type 8556337673, which is the 10 digits without the leading 1. The +1 is added for you, and the pay button turns on once all 10 digits are entered.
Where do I find my pharmacy benefit plan's prior authorization fax number?
On your plan's current prior authorization or coverage request form, on the plan's website, or in the pharmacy's rejection message. Numbers differ by plan and by form, so do not use a number from another plan.
Receiving a reply
Can my drug plan fax me the prior authorization decision?
Not to OverseasFax, which only sends. If you need to receive a fax, our sister service GetAFax.com gives you a private US fax number for 24 hours for $5, for up to 30 pages, and faxes arrive in your email as a PDF.
Delivery, proof and safety
How long does a Medicare Part D plan have to answer my prior authorization fax?
72 hours for a standard request and 24 hours for an expedited one, counted from when the plan receives the request. For an exception, the clock starts when the plan receives the prescriber's statement.
My medication is urgent, how do I ask my Part D plan for an expedited decision?
Write "Expedited request" clearly on the cover page and the form. If your prescriber says the standard time could seriously harm your health, the plan must expedite, and if only you ask, the plan decides.
How fast must a Marketplace plan decide a formulary exception I faxed?
72 hours for a standard exception request and 24 hours in exigent circumstances, under the federal rule for plans that cover essential health benefits. Employer plans set their own timelines, so check your plan's letter.
How do I show my drug plan I faxed the prior authorization request?
Keep the confirmation email. It shows the destination number, the page count and the time in US Eastern Time, which is your record of exactly when it was sent.
My prior authorization fax to the plan failed, did I lose my money?
No. If the fax cannot be delivered, the full amount goes back to your card automatically. Check that you typed 10 digits with no leading 1 and that the number is a fax line, then send again.
Is OverseasFax HIPAA compliant for faxing a prior authorization?
No. OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant and does not sign a business associate agreement, which matters for doctors' offices and pharmacies. A patient faxing their own coverage request is not using it as a covered entity.
More questions
My Part D plan denied my prior authorization, how long do I have to fax an appeal?
65 days from the date on the denial notice. Medicare.gov says a fast appeal is decided within 72 hours and a standard appeal within 7 days, and the notice tells you where to send it.
What should the cover page say on a prior authorization fax to my drug plan?
Your name, date of birth and member ID, the drug and strength, your prescriber's name and phone, whether it is standard or expedited, your phone number and the page count. Put your name and member ID on every page.

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