Access to medical treatments, prescriptions and therapies is critical to reducing suffering and death from cancer and other chronic illnesses. Yet too many patients face out-of-pocket costs, insurer policies and other barriers that can delay access to services that treat, manage and prevent the disease. Sharing the stories of patients who have experienced these barriers helps our lawmakers understand why it is critical to protect patients from these unnecessary hardships.
Your story is so important, and we want to hear from you! We are looking for stories about:
- Cost-Sharing and Coverage: Patients who cannot afford the co-pay or co-insurance on their drug, who can’t find the cost of their drug, or who can’t determine what drugs are covered when shopping for insurance.
- Prior Authorization: Patients who have had to wait vital days or weeks for their provider to get authorization from their insurance company to prescribe a drug they needed.
- Step Therapy: Patients who have had to go through step therapy as part of their cancer care. Step therapy, often called “fail first,” is a process that requires patients to try and fail on one or more medications chosen by their insurer before they can access the optimal treatment recommended and prescribed by their healthcare provider.
- Clinical Trial Access: Patients who are currently on Medicaid and are unable to enroll in a clinical trial out of fear of losing coverage or benefits.
- Other Barriers to Therapies: Patients who have experienced other roadblocks for accessing the life-saving treatment, drugs, clinical trials and/or other care they need.
- Provider Stories: Providers who have worked with patients who experienced the challenges above.