Albany group wants Dr’s not insurance companies to make medical decisions

OMG what a concept. Let Dr's not insurance companies make medical decisions? What a thought! From todays Saratogian…

"ALBANY >> Advocates marched outside the Capitol Wednesday to support a bill letting doctors rather than insurance companies make medical decisions about which prescription drugs are best for chronically ill people.

“We are one step away from helping New Yorkers get the medication their doctors prescribe,” not what insurance companies dictate,” said Kathless Arntsen, a patient and president of the Lupus and Allied Disease Association. “Gov. Cuomo please hear us – it’s time to stand with patients, advocates and providers ... we urge you to sign step therapy into law.”

She said she is blind and may lose an eye because of step therapy protocols. “It’s time to put prescribing back where it belongs – in the hands of doctors who are educated and ethically bound to treat us appropriately.”

The bill (S.3419) passed both the Assembly and Senate this year and not yet been sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The issue has been talked about for the last six years, as Connecticut and other states have led the way in passing laws addressing patient access to medications"

Let me share some of my own story. I had Hep C for almost 30 years and a few years ago they found a cure for the most common type of Hep C. The problem and it's still a problem is that the 12 week treatment runs 90k. At least it did. My doctor happened to be one of the physicians doing the trials and he got my insurance company to foot the bill. Many were not so lucky. I got cured but there are many with Hep C that still have no option. Let's support this bill.