Can I get an early prescription refill before a hurricane in North Carolina?

How Medicare drug plans handle early refills

Your Part D plan, or your Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, sets how soon you can refill a prescription. CMS's disaster training says there is no regulatory requirement for plans to cover replacement prescriptions, but CMS expects them to, and plans may relax "refill too soon" limits so people can replace drugs that were lost, damaged or destroyed. Medicare.gov says that if you live in a declared emergency or disaster area, your plan can help you:

• find another network pharmacy nearby;
• replace lost or damaged drugs, including ones you couldn't take when you evacuated;
• use an out-of-network pharmacy when you can't reasonably get to one in network;
• get a 60- or 90-day supply if you won't be able to return home for a long time.

Before a storm hits there may be no declaration yet, so plan well before landfall.

North Carolina's emergency refill law

G.S. 58-3-228 applies to health benefit plans regulated by the state, the State Health Plan, and stand-alone prescription plans licensed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. It works like this:

• The Insurance Commissioner issues a bulletin advisory.
• You live in a county under a state of emergency declared by the Governor or General Assembly, or a presidential major disaster declaration.
• You ask within 29 days of the bulletin; the Commissioner can extend that in 30-day steps.
• The plan must allow one refill (if you have refills left) or one replacement fill of a recent prescription, without refill-too-soon limits.

Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans are regulated by the federal government, and the law isn't written for them. If you have Medicare drug coverage, call your plan. If you're a State Health Plan retiree, ask the Plan how the law applies to your option.

How to get ready before hurricane season

1. Ask about 90-day supplies. Ask your plan whether it offers 90-day fills or mail order, and for which drugs and pharmacies.
2. Time your refills. Refill as soon as your plan allows when a storm is forecast, so you have the most on hand.
3. Keep a medicine list in a waterproof bag and as a photo on your phone.
4. Check your pharmacy network where you might evacuate. You can see plans for your ZIP code during Open Enrollment, which ends December 7, 2026, or request a call from a licensed insurance agent.

More in hurricanes, floods and Medicare in North Carolina.

Related questions

Sources

• North Carolina General Statutes — G.S. 58-3-228, coverage for extra prescriptions during a state of emergency or disaster
• Medicare.gov — Getting care in a disaster or emergency
• CMS — Replacing DME and Prescription Drugs after a Disaster
• eCFR — 42 CFR 423.124, out-of-network access to Part D drugs

More questions in this guide

• Can I see an out-of-network doctor after a hurricane in North Carolina?
• Is there a Medicare special enrollment period after a disaster in North Carolina?
• What happens to my Medicare after a hurricane in North Carolina?
• Will Medicare replace my wheelchair or oxygen lost in a flood?

Part of the guide: Hurricanes, Floods and Your Medicare in North Carolina · All questions

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