Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society Advocacy
Advocating for you: PRS Lobbyist, Deborah Ann Shoemaker, dshoemaker@pamedsoc.org
Contact Your Legislators to Co-Sponsor Prior Authorization in Pennsylvania
February 2021
PRS has consistently advocated for proposed legislation in the PA House of Representatives and the PA Senate that would improve access to crucial medications and procedures by easing barriers associated with step therapy and prior authorization. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced medical care to be administered in a new way, mandating swift/accessible treatment to improve patient outcomes.
State Representative Stephen Mentzer and State Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill plan to reintroduce their proposed legislation from last session. Although not yet introduced this legislative session, we have been informed of the bill numbers assigned to them (House Bill 225 and Senate Bill 225).
We urge you to contact your elected officials, sharing patient-related prior authorization and/or step therapy stories. Most often, legislators prefer personal emails vs. a templated email. It is important to inform them why this proposed legislation is critical to effective, often life-saving treatment. Sending an email, followed up by a phone call is appropriate. Here are some tips below to frame your communication:
Members should also encourage patients to reach out to their legislators. It is important for legislators to hear from both patients and physicians.
To contact by email, utilize this take action link. To contact by phone, find your legislator by typing in your address here.
If you have any questions, please contact the PRS office at 833-770-1549 or contact Deborah Ann Shoemaker, our lobbyist at dshoemaker@pamedsoc.org.
State Representative Stephen Mentzer and State Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill plan to reintroduce their proposed legislation from last session. Although not yet introduced this legislative session, we have been informed of the bill numbers assigned to them (House Bill 225 and Senate Bill 225).
We urge you to contact your elected officials, sharing patient-related prior authorization and/or step therapy stories. Most often, legislators prefer personal emails vs. a templated email. It is important to inform them why this proposed legislation is critical to effective, often life-saving treatment. Sending an email, followed up by a phone call is appropriate. Here are some tips below to frame your communication:
- Address your communication with “The Honorable (legislator’s name)”.
- Inform them that you are a constituent of their district.
- Pick one/two patient stories where good and adverse outcomes occurred because of prior authorization, step therapy or other administrative barriers.
- Keep comments as brief as possible, hitting key provisions within the proposed legislation, such as:
- Ensuring physicians have access to efficient electronic prior authorization systems, creating a minimum approval duration period to expedite the process, reducing administrative burdens for physicians which ultimately serves patients in a more effective way.
- Ensuring that fail-first protocols are based on clinical guidelines developed by independent physician experts in the medical specialty area in which they are crafting the policies.
- Creating a basic framework determining when it is medically appropriate to exempt patients from fail-first policies, as well as an exceptions process that is transparent and accessible to patients and their providers.
Members should also encourage patients to reach out to their legislators. It is important for legislators to hear from both patients and physicians.
To contact by email, utilize this take action link. To contact by phone, find your legislator by typing in your address here.
If you have any questions, please contact the PRS office at 833-770-1549 or contact Deborah Ann Shoemaker, our lobbyist at dshoemaker@pamedsoc.org.
