American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Applauds Governor Cuomo for Signing Step Therapy Reform Bill into Law.

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Marc Kaplan

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

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Email: [email protected]

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Applauds Governor Cuomo for Signing Step Therapy Reform Bill into Law.

ALBANY, NY – December 31, 2016 – Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation into law (S.3419C/A.2834D) that protects New Yorkers from health risks caused by Step Therapy also known as Fail First Therapy.

The 110,000 New Yorkers who will be diagnosed with cancer this year deserve access to the life-saving medicine they need. But “step therapy” policies used by insurance companies require patients to try less expensive, potentially less effective drugs before they can get coverage for the prescriptions their physicians recommend. The new law provides doctors a standardized path to appeal the health insurer’s decision not to fill the prescription and requires them to respond to the appeal within 24 to 72 hours.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Director of Government Relations Julie Hart released the following statement:

“Prioritizing insurance company profits over patients’ health is wrong.  We applaud Governor Cuomo for taking another step to help cancer patients.  By signing this bill to limit step therapy policies, the Governor is helping patients get access to the lifesaving medicine they need.”

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org