Step therapy这也被称为“先失败”，是保险公司使用的一种工具，要求患者在获得医生最初开出的药物之前，先尝试一种较便宜的治疗方法或一系列治疗方法。过于繁重的步骤治疗要求可能会危及患者与提供者的关系，并不必要地延长无效治疗，阻止患者立即开始，或在某些情况下继续获得医生建议的最适当治疗。
Hunter Pruett, a Junior Ambassador from Atlanta, is one of many who have experienced a delay in care due to step therapy. At only 4 and a half years old, Hunter was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, experiencing painful, swollen joints, fever and fatigue.
Hunter’s physician prescribed a biologic medication to ease the pain and joint destruction. But his family’s insurance plan denied coverage, insisting that Hunter had to go through step therapy and “fail first” on another drug before they would consider approving the much-needed biologic.
After months of trying and failing the insurance plan’s preferred medication, Hunter eventually reached the plan’s step therapy length requirement, and the insurer agreed to provide coverage for the biologic the rheumatologist originally prescribed.
But the 14-month wait to get on the appropriate medicine leftHunter in immense pain, causing him to miss months of school and leaving him with permanent joint damage.
亨特甚至需要对他的双膝进行手术来恢复他的关节，这样他就可以再次行走了。像《恢复病人声音法案》这样的立法将对亨特所经历的步骤治疗要求进行急需的改革。这项法律将赋予像亨特这样的医生使用他们最好的医疗判断的权力，以迅速推翻保险公司的失败第一要求，确保像亨特这样的病人能够在正确的时间得到正确的治疗。
We need your help to make sure stories like Hunter’s don’t end with months of pain and joint damage. You can be a part of the solution.与我们一起呼吁国会在参众两院引入这一重要的步骤疗法改革立法。
Last Congress, the first federal bill to reformstep therapyrequirements was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and it had a tremendous amount of support, with 88 representatives signing on as sponsors. It’s time to re-introduce this important legislation to our newly-elected 116thCongress, and we need your help to raise awareness and support.
In March, our 2019 Advocacy Summit participants will be taking their step therapy stories directly to members of Congress in Washington, DC, to advocate for this important legislation. We can do our part toamplify their messageby sharing our support with our legislators.