On May 19, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed HB 3196 into law! Step therapy legislation gives physicians a clear path toward getting their patients the medications they need.
Having access to affordable, effective and specialized medication is critical for the 54 million Americans living with doctor-diagnosed arthritis nationwide, including over 900,000 in Minnesota. The Arthritis Foundation thanks the bill’s sponsors and Gov. Dayton for helping provide these patient protections to Minnesotans.
Step Therapyis a practice used by insurers that requires people with arthritis to try lower-cost medications before allowing more expensive treatments, despite a physician’s recommendation.
Ted Cadwell, Minnesota resident and advocacy chair for the Arthritis Foundation, shared that “this legislation is a way to show how states like Minnesota are leading the way to innovative solutions to shape health care for patients, health care providers and the broader health care system.”
关节炎基金会(The Arthritis Foundation)是一个逐步治疗联盟的成员，该联盟在当地努力工作，在几个月内通过了六场听证会，推动该法案通过。倡议者通过参与联盟的步骤治疗日，在提高人们对该法案的认识方面发挥了带头作用。特德·卡德威尔在接下来的一周的两次委员会听证会上作证。他的证词极大地影响了参众两院的立法者，就在他作证的当晚，他们在委员会外一致通过了这些法案。
Minnesota advocacy committee member, Kitty Szarkowski-Boder, and her son, Nicholas Boder-Szarkowski, were featured in aCCX Media online article, celebrating the passage of the bill before the governor signed it.
The article tells the story of 21-year-old Nicholas, who was diagnosed with arthritis at age 2. He has arthritis in every joint in his body and was bedridden for three years. Despite his chronic condition, Nicholas had to wait a year and a half before he was able to get the medicine his doctor first prescribed. While this bill won’t benefit him now, he hopes it will help future patients like him.
His mother is not only an Advocate for her son, but also to countless Minnesota patients who are in the same boat. She doesn’t want anyone to go through what her son had to endure.
明尼苏达州现在加入了许多其他州的行列，这些州已经通过了法律，为健康计划的步骤治疗协议设置了常识性的护栏。
If you have a step therapy story, we want to hear from you.
You can learn more about advocacy and amplifying your voice by becoming an Arthritis Foundation Advocate!Sign up today!
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