I have Chronic incurable diseases. One is Gastroparesis. I can’t afford to have my doctor’s and insurance play with my life. Doctor’s know do no harm. Why is the government getting involved with our care. I have been ill for 20 years and never have been an addict. My doctor’s know what I truly need. Let them take care of the Critically… Read more “Sandra Adams”

I have personally been affected. Who wants to keep trying medicine that doesn’t work. My dr actually said, it probably won’t work, but we have a process to follow. Tried useless meds that created horrible effects. It took going through several medicines to get to the one they wanted me to try. This is wrong. I as a patient, should be able to skip to the medicine that’s best for me and stop taking ones that just make me… Read more “Tonya Henry”

I’ve suffered my whole life with severe allergies. I’ve tried several medications and some work, and done didn’t. The medications that was next up for me to try I couldn’t receive because I never tried a medication on the preferred list first. Needless to say, the injections was denied because of that and I basically gave up and I’m still… Read more “Sedaka Jones”

This is an important issue for anyone with a severe debilitating medical condition. Gastroparesis is one of those issues (which affects my health), but there are many more. Patients suffer when insurance companies hold up testing or “review” medical information by unqualified individuals or persons who fail to research that… Read more “Karen Engebretson”

I find it reprehensible that the insurance companies have any authority to practice medicine without a license. Making mid-year decisions to stop covering certain medications is exactly that. When done to save money rather than for the good of the patient, it is heinous. It is also breaking faith in their coverage contract with the subscriber. Anyone with chronic conditions has already been through the “first fail” before finally finding a medication regime that helps control their symptoms and illness. The idea of Step Therapy affects many patients, not just those using pain medication, but also those who need hormone therapy, antidepressants, and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS and Steroids) to name a few. A change in that medication can lead to a condition getting worse fast and that is ground that cannot be gained back. It adds an ill-afforded cost to the patient in terms of pain, suffering, and finances. Please support this and leave the practice of medicine to the… Read more “Debra Reames”

I have health issues on top of health issues. It has taken years to sort them out. Recently I needed to be put on a medication to try and keep me in the work force and off of disability. My insurance denied the medicine, stating I must try three other specific medications first. When my doctor went through those medicines, insurance denied all of them because I am “too old.” Now I am walking around untreated for a condition that affects my life and functionality… Read more “Heather Gillon”

So my experience with step therapy is very madning for me. There is only 1 FDA approved medication for Gastroparesis Reglan. So the doctor naturally prescribed it. What choice does she have right? I call to get the status and a prior authorization is need. Why would one be need for the only med approved. So after a few weeks of the dr submitting paper work they say we need to try something else? What? So we ask what are they recommending? We check erythromycin. But they required a prior auth with that one too. That was also rejected stating to try another medication. I paid out of pocked at wal mart for 4 bucks for reglan that comes with a balck label because of the high rick of side effects. Which after a few months i developed. I paid out of pocked the whole time. So at my next appointment we switch to erythromycin because we followed protocol. Its been two weeks and i still have not got my medication because they dont want to approve it. Its almost 200 bucks out of pocket. I can’t afford that. What options do i have? I spent every day for two… Read more “Ashley Daniel”

Failed attempts on staying on GP diet, continued to have abd pain, nausea and vomiting. Also put on erythromycin which quit working after a few months, now dx with heart block, and can only have max 4 domperidone a day, not working. Waiting to see if ins will pay for botox injection. If not, can’t afford. Also domperidone not covered by insurance. Continued dehydration from gastroparesis causes my kidneys to fail. Daily life is abd pain, bloating, vomiting off and on, severe nausea. Also had to have an ileostomy placed. The fatigue is unreal. I have not had one treatment help me yet. Please… Read more “Dena Shover”

I have been put through Step Therapy multiple times and at one point it caused me to be forced into a surgery that may have been prevented if my medication would have been approved. Now I will never know if the medication would have saved my colon. We need our doctors to be able to prescribe the medication we need without insurance companies refusing it, not knowing our history or the condition we are in. My life depended on the medication working or surgery to prevent my colon from rupturing. I had already had a perforation which almost killed me, so we could not take a chance after several appeals. Patients should not have to endure Step Therapy while fighting for their lives.  Now I have a permanent ileostomy for the rest of my… Read more “Debbie Popp”

My daughter has been suffering from gastroparesis since 2013. We’ve been through all the “fail first” protocol and it’s extremely frustrating! As you watch a loved one who hasn’t eaten or drank by mouth for over 3 years, is on tube feeds to survive, had a gastric stimulator placed (didn’t work), and be told by her specialist doctors there is nothing they can do for her…learn to live with it. …and she’s still losing weight, now skin and bones, it’s extremely frustrating. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed, PLEASE I urge you to stand behind the Safe Step Act and help all those suffering to get help sooner than later. Thank… Read more “Joyce Bowman”

There are no other reasons than I am literally slowly starving to death!! I’ve tried meds in the order it “had” to be. I’m on tpn and a j tube. (Feeding tube). This day and age I should not have to follow suit just to have a diagnosis with no… Read more “Lisa Haase”

Because of the step therapy I have been denied treatment by insurance doctors have requested. I have been denied medications/nutrition requested by doctors, as the doctors first choice of treatment. Therefore, with insurance, I have ended up paying thousands of dollars for medication, nutrition, treatment after following insurances recommendations. Only to have them fail. At 88 pounds, put on Palliative Care, I do believe my doctors and care team know what’s in my best interest over some coder at an insurance company. Our care team, physicians, doctors see us first hand, insurance doesn’t. So when a doctor requests a specific medication it’s in our best interest to have access to the medication rather than what insurance would like to cover. I believe step therapy has been to many people demise because they don’t have the means to afford the medication/treatment their doctors prefer, as well many insurances won’t cover what the patient truly needs to have. Our doctors should have the right to treat, medicate and prescribe what’s in their patients best interest over a coder at an insurance company that knows nothing about… Read more “Kristine Bishop”

To whom this concerns, I’ve been suffering from a rare disease called Gastroparesis it’s very debilitating daily, people are dying with this disease & other diseases because we are being guinea pigged by insurance companies being allowed to cover medications that do not work. Please hear our cry & Stop insurance companies from acting like they are Dr’s making us take medications that do not help us causing more harm even… Read more “Rosalind Signorino”

I lost 87 pounds and was so sick weak make you go threw several test drugs to see if they work instead of giving a prescription that they know will… Read more “Amy Speers”

In 2007 I had a giant fibroid that took up my abdomen & pushed my intestines through my diaphragm into my chest. When they removed it they took my ovary, my appendix, & told me to see a surgeon right away for the diaphragm repair as they couldn’t fix it when they did the removal as they put me to sleep twice that day, once to evaluate via endoscopy & then to do the removal. They also said I had another growth on my other ovary, but it was only 3cm so they left it. In 9 months that growth grew to 9cm & I was given a total hysterectomy. The surgeon I met with immediately after the first surgery stated I was too young for hernia surgery & started me on PPIs instead of fixing the structural issue. I spent the next several years with ulcers & illness until I was finally given a nissen fundaplication as my stomach was in my chest. They found barrett’s esophagus during this procedure and sent me for radiation ablation, (told 6 burns, given 50). This caused an esphogeal stricture & the surgery to fail. After 11 dialtions I was able to swallow… Read more “Heather Rogers”

Having gastroparesis turned my world upside down one minute I’m a normal woman the next I’m in and out of the hospital unable to even keep water down. I had to fight just for the right just to be able to try and have a semi normal life. We in the GP community need access to life changing meds! Why should we not have the access to meds that other countries have access to with less side effects then the ones other countries have ie: Canada, the UK… Read more “Stephanie Davis”