UnitedHealthcare adds an approval step to 4 common pills for 2027. Humana raises 3 a tier.

For 2027, UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans add an approval step to 4 common pills. Humana moves 3 of the same pills to a higher tier instead.

The 2027 Medicare drug lists are out, and we loaded every plan's list into Vlada.

The pills are lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin), temazepam (Restoril) and pregabalin (Lyrica).

UnitedHealthcare covers 7.1 million people in plans that continue into 2027. Starting in January, its plans require your doctor to get approval before you can fill all four. In 2026 they did not. Aetna already required it for three of them.

Humana, with 5.6 million, adds no approval step. It moves lorazepam, clonazepam and temazepam to tier 4.

In dollars, that matters less than it sounds. These are cheap generics, and you never pay more than the drug's price. Only lorazepam costs more, up to about $6.50 a fill until you meet your deductible. A $0 copay becomes the full price. With a $5 copay it is a dollar or two at most. Clonazepam and temazepam cost the same before the deductible. If you get Extra Help, your copay stays low on any tier.

For UnitedHealthcare members, the approval step is the bigger change. It is not a denial. But it is a call from the doctor's office, and sometimes a wait at the pharmacy.

Three of the four are benzodiazepines, which the American Geriatrics Society's Beers Criteria say older adults should generally avoid because of falls and confusion.

If you or a parent take one of these, read your 2027 drug list before December 7.