I'm sorry to hear that you had to experience that Debra, but I've heard of this numerous times. It's our wonderful healthcare system.
As long as health insurers run the show and maintain their big DC lobbies, that Step Therapy legislation doesn't have much of a chance and you have to hope you don't need an Rx that is part of step therapy.
Thanks, Melanie. Since then, I’ve learned more and come across step therapy a few times, but it was a bit of a rude awakening at first. I agree the legislation is unlikely to pass, purely for financial reasons. I had an interesting conversation with my cardiologist recently, as he was talking about step therapy being detrimental to patients with high cholesterol. The doctors seem to like a specific kind of medication better, but patients can’t get to it unless they try 1-2 other options first.
Yes that’s scary about the high cholesterol one. Although if that can be beaten with nutritional and activity changes first, it’s even better than being on a cholesterol med.
My husband reminded me when I mentioned your article to him, that one of his friends went through step therapy for a GERD med too.
100%. I am currently working on some nutritional changes to avoid going on a cholesterol med. It’s good to know that’s available as a back-up plan, but it’s definitely not my first choice.
That’s interesting about the GERD med. Thanks for sharing that with me.
I'm sorry to hear that you had to experience that Debra, but I've heard of this numerous times. It's our wonderful healthcare system.
As long as health insurers run the show and maintain their big DC lobbies, that Step Therapy legislation doesn't have much of a chance and you have to hope you don't need an Rx that is part of step therapy.
Thanks, Melanie. Since then, I’ve learned more and come across step therapy a few times, but it was a bit of a rude awakening at first. I agree the legislation is unlikely to pass, purely for financial reasons. I had an interesting conversation with my cardiologist recently, as he was talking about step therapy being detrimental to patients with high cholesterol. The doctors seem to like a specific kind of medication better, but patients can’t get to it unless they try 1-2 other options first.
Yes that’s scary about the high cholesterol one. Although if that can be beaten with nutritional and activity changes first, it’s even better than being on a cholesterol med.
My husband reminded me when I mentioned your article to him, that one of his friends went through step therapy for a GERD med too.
100%. I am currently working on some nutritional changes to avoid going on a cholesterol med. It’s good to know that’s available as a back-up plan, but it’s definitely not my first choice.
That’s interesting about the GERD med. Thanks for sharing that with me.
Good for you for working on that, I hope you can avoid it. I do understand that sometimes that it is necessary though.