想象一下，你去找你的医疗服务提供者，却被告知你的药物已经不在保险范围内。金和来自伊利诺伊州哥伦比亚的加里·基托斯基已经不止一次面对这样的现实。金女士是关节炎财团大使，30多年来一直患有关节炎，她的丈夫加里在8年前被诊断出患有多发性硬化症。由于步进疗法，两人都在争取获得医生开的药物。
Step therapy, sometimes known as fail first, is a growing insurance industry practice that requires patients to try and fail other, cheaper medications before the insurance provider will cover medications originally prescribed by the treating physician. This practice undermines physicians’ ability to effectively treat their patients and can result in unnecessary disease progression, health setbacks, harmful side effects, significant emotional distress and increased costs.
Today, with the signing of House Bill 3549 into law, the Kitowski’s are celebrating another Arthritis Foundation Advocate victory to curb step therapy. More than 120 Advocates in Illinois contacted their legislator to vote ‘yes’ on the step therapy bill (House Bill 3549) and, due in large part to their efforts, this bill unanimously passed the House and Senate.
Championed by State Representative Laura Fine and sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison, House Bill 3549 was signed into law by Governor Rauner on August 12, 2016 This bill puts safeguards in place, for people like the Kitowski’s, to help them get the medications they need, when they need it and as prescribed by their treating physicians.
Illinois Advocacy chair and longtime Arthritis Foundation volunteer, Cindy Copenhaver, echoes her thanks to Representative Fine, Senator Morrison and Governor Rauner for being Champions of Yes.
“Due to our fantastic advocates and amazing legislative sponsors, Illinois will now have a very strong patient access bill that not only helps the 2.3 million people in Illinois with arthritis, but helps patients with all types of chronic disease have access to the medication that is best suited for them,” said Copenhaver.
You canread more about the Kitowski’s storyin aSt. Louis Post Dispatch Op-Edthat was published in March of 2016.
Being an Arthritis Foundation Advocate is easy and, as you can tell by this story, results in very meaningful changes for people living with arthritis.Learn more about our advocacy program and how you can become part of our passionate team of 132,000+ advocates!
I’m sharing this like crazy on every social media avenue in my grasp! So exciting! Such a great day for us in Illinois!
The stories are inspiring, I am currently in Oregon and having problems coordinating care , very few Rumatologists here. My mother Colleen Davis, was in a facility in Kansas city, Mo she also attended a clinic in Springfield MO. I inherited RA and OA, from her. Living in Oregon is very hard, the climate has become intolerable. I have grandchildren in AZ, I am going to move to Arizona but don’t know how to begin, I am alone. Do any of you have any advise? If anyone who reads this remembers my mother she died May of 2008 at the clinic in KC, please contact me. I know now why she left her estate to AF,and I am told it is often inherited. I wish everyone well, Bless you. Jennifer Lynn wright Welch
As a resident of Illinois, I am grateful that this bill passed. Even with insurance, a variety of medications are no longer covered or the copay has increased. It should be noted that some generics do not work as well as the name brand. The patient should not have to suffer because of the cost or the ineffective generic….something I have experienced first hand.