Source checks

Take the claim back to its source.

Match the source to the question. A licence record, a medicine review and a payment rule tell different stories.

For a made-to-order medicine, check the drug agency’s explanation.

Drug products are reviewed by a US agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When medicine is compounded, it is made to fill an order.

Evidence note

What FDA checks before a medicine is sold

FDA does not check made-to-order medicine before sale for safety, how well it is made or whether it works, as of September 2026.

Ask whether the exact medicine has FDA approval or is made to order. For medicine made to order, ask the pharmacy how it checks the product’s quality.

FDA: the explanation of compounding FDA: the limits of checks before sale

For a doctor’s record, go to the state board.

Evidence note

What the public licence record can answer

A state medical board’s public record can give a doctor’s current licence status and show any public action concerning their conduct.

A clear public record does not rate the care.

Find the official state medical board

For care over a screen, read the medical-board guidance.

Evidence note

What a video or phone visit must check

State medical boards together make up the Federation of State Medical Boards. It says remote visits must match the level of care given in person.

Ask how the visit will check your symptoms and history. Ask whether an examination or tests need to be arranged in person.

Read the guidance on remote assessment

If you also need weight-loss care, check Medicare’s programme terms.

Use this section if you are also checking the weight-loss programme described on the insurance page. For tissue-repair care, ask your insurer about the exact visit, tests and medicine.

The programme is run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shortened to CMS.

GLP-1 is a hormone, a signal from the body that affects blood sugar and appetite. GLP-1 medicines copy that signal.

Part D is Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit.

Evidence note

What the programme terms can answer

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge operates temporarily, apart from the usual Part D payment process, as of September 2026.

Check the terms against the exact medicine and plan being proposed.

CMS: read the Bridge terms CMS: read the eligibility rules

For a health spending account, begin with the tax rules.

Health spending accounts include HSAs (health savings accounts) and FSAs (flexible spending arrangements). They hold money set aside for medical costs.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishes the medical-expense rules for these accounts.

Evidence note

What counts as a medical expense

As of September 2026, a general-health purpose alone does not meet the IRS medical-expense test.

Then ask the company running your HSA or FSA what proof it needs for the proposed care. Use your account paperwork to find its contact details.

IRS: read the medical-expense rules IRS: check the questions on general-health expenses

For a problem report, check what the record means.

Evidence note

What a reported problem can establish

FDA says a problem report proves neither that the medicine caused it nor how often that problem happens.

A reported event and a proven cause are different findings.

FDA: read the limits of problem reports