Recently the Advocacy Council joined a coalition that includes several physician and patient organizations, in supporting both Federal and state legislation designed to address step therapy issues. We are pleased to report that Ohio has enacted legislation that promises to restrict the ability of insurers to impose unreasonable step therapy requirements on patients in that state. The legislation, recently signed by the governor, will require insurers to base step therapy on clinical guidelines developed by independent experts. It will provide for transparent exceptions and an appeals process for prescribing physicians that will allow for exceptions when medically appropriate for the patient.
The coalition is also advancing step therapy legislation in several other states. Currently, bills are pending in Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont. We will keep you posted on the efforts in those states. Meanwhile, if you practice in any of those states and would like to help the coalition efforts, please contact the Advocacy Council at AdvocacyCouncil@ACAAI.org