Advocacy
First Quarter Advocacy Update
posted: April 3, 2020
Greetings members, and Happy New Year from your Advocacy Chair;
A new DECADE and a new session at the legislature have everyone on alert to bills being crafted that address the challenges of prescribing costly medications.
HB2420 One-Pager
The first is HB2420 titled insurance prescription drugs and step therapy; this bill would reform step therapy, not eliminate it. This bill would help move the focus off drug costs and on to aligning with standards of care; a huge challenge but this is the first step. We are in ongoing conversations with the representatives who have crafted this bill. It is our job to define the more practical, fundamental problems with step therapy.
After its hearing on Feb. 6 at the Capitol, HB2420 successfully passed out of the House Health Committee. The bill will next be discussed in a stakeholder meeting with Senator Bartos.
To support the bill in its upcoming days, we encourage you to write us with either a brief scenario of how step therapy has impacted the lives of your patients or to write an op-ed article to be published in the Capitol times. There is also a way to communicate with your representative through the Action Center on the CSRO website.
Our goal is to give some perspective to the legislators, of the current struggles not only of the providers, but the patients.
The second bill is HB2532; reference title prior authorization uniform request form, also attached for your perusal. This bill would require insurance companies to streamline the process of prior authorization with a uniform request form. The crafters of this bill are also at the table with the stakeholders. Representative Shah is introducing this bill. Dr. Shah is an emergency medicine physician.
For more timely updates and information, go to the CSRO website.
Respectfully yours,
Theresa J. Frimel NP-C