On February 21, House Bill (HB) 72, a proposal to reform step therapy processes used by insurance companies that have become huge barriers to patient care, was introduced by Representatives Terry Johnson and Nicki Antonio for the consideration of the Ohio House of Representatives. A companion bill, Senate Bill (SB) 56, has been introduced by Senator Peggy Lehner in the Ohio Senate.
HB 72 and SB 56 are similar to SB 243 of the last Ohio General Assembly which the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians strongly supported.
Step therapy is a one-size-fits-all policy and for many physicians and patients it has become a barrier to getting the right care at the right time. Step therapy can undermine physicians’ ability to effectively treat patients, lower quality of care, and lead to set backs and disease progression for patients.
HB 72/SB 56 do not prohibit insurers from using step therapy but seek to balance cost containment with patient needs. Both protect patients by ensuring that step therapy programs are based on clinical guidelines developed by independent experts and that the exceptions process for step therapy is transparent and accessible to patients and their physicians.
Eleven other states have enacted step therapy reform legislation.