What is the Safe Step Act of 2023 and why is this bill important?

One of the first things a newly-diagnosed autoimmune disease patient learns about is called “step therapy” or “fail-first”. This forces patients to first try, and possibly fail, on lower-cost medications before the insurance company agrees to cover the medication originally prescribed by the patient's healthcare provider.

Unfortunately, when applied inappropriately, step therapy can delay effective treatment, leading to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. To help patients overcome this barrier to care, the Safe Step Act of 2023 (H.R.2630) has been proposed.

This bill will allow patients to request a change in their step therapy if the step treatment is expected to be ineffective, expected to cause adverse reactions, or if the patient is stable on their current medications. The bill also requires health plans to outline a clear process for appealing step therapy and sets a time limit for the insurer to respond. This bill not only eliminates unreasonable barriers to patient care but also empowers patients to advocate for themselves.

Please support the Autoimmune Registry by joining our registry or sharing it with a friend who has an autoimmune condition. Together, we can better tackle the underlying causes of all autoimmune diseases.