A bipartisan bill dealing with how insurance companies deny certain treatments and drugs until other options are tried first is getting a final push in this lame duck session. And there鈥檚 a lawmaker who鈥檚 joining in on this effort 鈥 but as a patient.
It鈥檚 called 鈥渟tep therapy鈥 鈥 where insurers deny a drug or treatment until a different, sometimes cheaper option is tried first.
Rep. Scott Lipps (R-Franklin) came face to face with it after fell seriously ill and was denied the drug his specialist had prescribed in favor of a medication he says did nothing but cost him recovery time. 鈥淚 learned this new term 鈥榮tep therapy鈥 in a very negative personal matter. And when I learned I had colleagues working on this issue, I was standing behind them cheering them on," Lipps said.
Lawmakers say they want to ensure there鈥檚 a clinical reason for step therapy, and that it鈥檚 not just to save money. Health plans have opposed this bill, saying step therapy ensures safer, more cost-effective drugs are used first.
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