New Georgia Law to Prevent Unnecessary Step Therapy Actions
The Arthritis Foundation is happy to announce that the Georgia legislature passed a new law this month that will protect Georgians who are living with arthritis.
The new GA law will reform step therapy. Also known as “fail first,” step therapy is a process that forces patients to try and fail drugs that insurance companies choose before the patient gets to use the medicine their doctor originally prescribed. This may occur even if you are already taking a medication and doing well on it.
Our Advocates’ stories powered this success and helped Georgians like the Nealy family. They have had to endure burdensome step therapy requirements for the treatment of their 7-year-old son, Khalil, who was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
“When parents are dealing with the pain of not being able to comfort their newly-diagnosed child, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not their insurance company will present even more challenges through the step therapy process.
[caption id="attachment_885" align="alignleft" width="218"]
Arthritis Ambassador, Patricia Nealy, and her son[/caption]
“I trust my doctor to make the best decisions for my child’s treatment, and I’m happy this new law will offer us better protections and prevent unnecessary step therapy actions.”
–Patricia Nealy, Arthritis Foundation Ambassador from Atlanta
This newly-minted legislation reforms step therapy protocols and ensures that Georgians will have timely access to the medications they need, when they need them.
Our Advocates were persistent and taught Georgia legislators about the importance of this legislation, which received a near-unanimous vote in both the House and Senate.
This is a major victory for all Georgia Advocates. Please join us in letting our legislators know how much we appreciate their support for better access to care and medications for patients across the state by taking action today!
Please take a minute to thank your legislators for passing this important reform!
For more information about how to get involved with advocacy in Georgia, please contact Kristen Crawford at [email protected]
The new GA law will reform step therapy. Also known as “fail first,” step therapy is a process that forces patients to try and fail drugs that insurance companies choose before the patient gets to use the medicine their doctor originally prescribed. This may occur even if you are already taking a medication and doing well on it.
Our Advocates’ stories powered this success and helped Georgians like the Nealy family. They have had to endure burdensome step therapy requirements for the treatment of their 7-year-old son, Khalil, who was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
“When parents are dealing with the pain of not being able to comfort their newly-diagnosed child, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not their insurance company will present even more challenges through the step therapy process.
[caption id="attachment_885" align="alignleft" width="218"]
Arthritis Ambassador, Patricia Nealy, and her son[/caption]
“I trust my doctor to make the best decisions for my child’s treatment, and I’m happy this new law will offer us better protections and prevent unnecessary step therapy actions.”
–Patricia Nealy, Arthritis Foundation Ambassador from Atlanta
This newly-minted legislation reforms step therapy protocols and ensures that Georgians will have timely access to the medications they need, when they need them.
Our Advocates were persistent and taught Georgia legislators about the importance of this legislation, which received a near-unanimous vote in both the House and Senate.
This is a major victory for all Georgia Advocates. Please join us in letting our legislators know how much we appreciate their support for better access to care and medications for patients across the state by taking action today!
Please take a minute to thank your legislators for passing this important reform!
For more information about how to get involved with advocacy in Georgia, please contact Kristen Crawford at [email protected]
