For people like Renda Brower, the fight against arthritis and barriers to treatment is an everyday battle. Renda’s husband and two of her children have ankylosing spondylitis. The process to get the medication they need inspired Renda to become an Advocate and to share her story in support of Indiana step therapy bill,Senate Bill 41 (SB41). Today, we celebrate a big victory for the Browers and the 1.3 million people (6,400 of whom are children) in Indiana living with arthritis.
Today, Governor Pence signed into law SB41, putting limits on an insurance industry protocol, known as “step therapy” or “fail first,” which require patients to try and fail medications the insurance provider recommends before they will cover medications as prescribed by their physician. This practice has become pervasive in the insurance industry, even when the prescribed drug is deemed more medically appropriate by the patient’s physician.
Passage of this bill means that people living with arthritis, like Renda’s husband and children, won’t have to struggle to get the medication they need. Renda’s husband and two of her three children have ankylosing spondylitis.
“SB41 will give my family their lives back by allowing us to more quickly receive the medication we need to be active and healthy again,” said Renda. “My husband and children won’t have to struggle through step therapy again.”
The Arthritis Foundation played a major role in passing SB41. In addition to leading the coalition, Arthritis Foundation advocates testified at both the Senate and House hearing.
Terri Miller is a Foundation Advocate and understands more than most how step therapy can negatively affect people with arthritis. A single mom with rheumatoid arthritis, Terri has struggled through step therapy to get the medication she needs.
“The whole arthritis community has to go through this and it just isn’t fair,” said Terri. “I’ve advocated for passage of this bill to do something positive related to this disease, to help the arthritis community.”
While SB41 gives healthcare providers a clear course by which to appeal step therapy restrictions, it does not ban step therapy, limit the number of steps an insurer can impose, or prioritize the prescribing of brand name drugs over generics.
SB41 is a victory, but we still have a long way to go. Help us create winning moments like this bybecoming an Arthritis Foundation Advocatetoday.
Thank you to the sponsors of this bill, Indiana Senator Crider and Indiana Representative Carbaugh.
With all the pain associated with this disease and its effect on the family, there should be one less problem to worry about. The drug companies should focus on curing this crippling disease, then there would not be an issue. Greater government support for cures will hopefully change the focus for insurance companies. Fight for a cure, cutting medication for patients is not the answer, it does nothing to eliminate the problem. Arthritis in all ages is growing by leaps and bounds, we must address the seriousness! Having more patients to treat raises costs. The answer is a cure.
作为一名关节炎患者，我理解人们所经历的痛苦。虽然，我的是次要的RA,JA等。在美国，我看到自己和其他人经历了这么多，只是为了走路，写作，以任何方式，看到他们如此痛苦，我的心都碎了。对于制药和工业来说，我们不是豚鼠。我们有权不经过试验和错误就能得到我们自己的药物，因为保险公司不想为正确的药物支付费用。，从一开始。
谢谢你为之奋斗。我没有多少关节炎，但我的腿和脚有疼痛的神经病变。虽然我去年投保了Lyrica的保险，但我的保险公司决定今年对我实施阶梯治疗。我甚至不能戒掉我的Lyrica因为我的疼痛难以忍受。很快我就会用完我的Lyrica，除非我能找到一种方法继续下去，而不尝试我的保险公司要求的其他两种药物。