Step therapy protocols should be nationally recognized and always based on clinical guidelines developed by independent medical experts to ensure they are safe for patients. States should establish ...

The Massachusetts House passed a bill which aims to curb the use of step therapy by health insurers. Drugs that are designated with a “step therapy” condition of reimbursement are only paid for by ...

Step therapy, commonly referred to as ”fail first”, was designed to control costs by requiring patients to try lower-cost therapies before accessing the treatment originally prescribed. In theory, it ...

For years, I’ve watched the barriers my patients face in accessing the treatments I prescribe continue to grow. That is part of the reason I and many other health care professionals and patients ...

Step therapy is when Medicare Part D plans ask beneficiaries to try a more affordable drug before approving higher-cost prescriptions. In Medicare, Part D covers general prescription drugs, whereas ...

To keep rising health-care costs in check, many health insurers have adopted a strategy known as "step therapy," a policy requiring patients to try cheaper drugs first—and find them to be ...

An opinion forum on recent news and major policy issues. Have a story suggestion? Let us know. For the third time in the past four years, the California Legislature considered a bill that would limit ...

The frequency with which 7 of the largest Medicare Advantage plans impose step therapy protocols in their Part B drug coverage decisions varies substantially. Objectives: First, to examine 7 large ...

When he was diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, Joel Hechler knew he’d be in for a battle. He didn’t realize maybe his toughest one would be with his insurance company. “I think they put the ...

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . Despite a mounting number of state-level laws enacted to protect vulnerable patients against step therapy ...

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently sent shudders through the specialty drug market by authorizing Medicare Advantage Plans to use step therapy protocols for Part B drugs. The ...

After President Donald Trump announced last week that the federal government will begin negotiating with drug manufacturers for lower prices on medicines paid for by Medicare Part B, discussion has ...