S. 2546 / H.R. 2279 (Safe Step Act)

Step Therapy National Day of Advocacy

Support the Safe Step Act

November 13, 2019

On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) will coordinate a National Day of Advocacy to encourage federal legislators to address step therapy reform by supporting the Safe Step Act (H.R.  2279/S.  2546). Throughout the day, advocates from around the country will urge their members of Congress to improve patient access by cosponsoring the Safe Step Act, which would establish important protections for patients facing step therapy and fail-first protocols.

Step Therapy and the Safe Step Act

Otherwise known as a “fail first” protocol, step therapy is an insurance practice which mandates that patients try and fail medications preferred by their insurer before they can utilize treatments prescribed by their doctor. While the practice can sometimes be used to contain the costs of prescription drugs, it can also have serious negative impacts on patients, including delayed access to the most effective treatments, severe side effects, and irreversible disease progression. Step therapy protocols may ignore a patient’s unique circumstances and medical history. That means patients may have to use medications that previously failed to address their medical issue, or – due to their unique medical conditions – could have dangerous side effects.

If left unchecked, the practice can impede the doctor-patient relationship and cause serious harm to patients. The Safe Step Act establishes important safeguards that protect patients when step therapy is mandated by establishing a transparent appeals process and an expedited review for at risk-patients. The Safe Step Act is a balanced public policy proposal that works to reform step therapy by:

• Establishing a clear exemption process. The bill requires that insurers implement a clear and transparent process for a patient or physician to request an exception to a step therapy protocol.

• Establishing an expedited review for at-risk patients. The bill requires a group health plan to respond to an exemption request within 72 hours in all circumstances, and 24 hours if the patient’s life is at risk.

Please ask your congressional representatives to cosponsor the Safe Step Act (S. 2546 / H.R. 2279). 

You can find additional information and read the text of the bill at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2279 or https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr2279 and https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2546 or https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s2546.