Patients are waiting weeks for medications they need. Doctors are spending hours on prior authorization paperwork instead of treating patients. And our emergency departments and psychiatric units are overwhelmed.
Here's the good news: HB 1519 would end prior authorization, step therapy, and fail-first rules for mental health medications in both commercial and Medicaid plans. Treatment decisions would be made by doctors, not insurance companies.
And Pennsylvanians support it. A recent poll shows voters overwhelmingly back ending prior authorization for severe mental illness. 7 in 10 insured adults say prior authorization is a burden to getting care. Nationally, treatment delays cost Medicaid $2,400 annually per person and contribute to $366.8 billion in total costs for untreated schizophrenia.
Our President and CEO, Jeannine L. Lisitski, and Dr. Deepraj Singh, a psychiatrist with Mental Health Partnerships, were recently featured in a Public News Service article discussing the real-world impacts these delays have on the individuals we serve.
24 states have already adopted open-access policies without raising spending.
Your action is needed:
- Contact your State Senator and ask them to sign on to the co-sponsorship memo from Senators Pennycuick and Boscola
- Ask your State Representative to sign on to HB 1519
Thank you for your support!
P.S. If you live in New Jersey, please use your Philadelphia work address to send your letter!