Reliable Coverage Act: Urge Tennessee lawmakers to stand with patients
Every day, patients across the country battle with insurance companies to gain access to the right treatments.
Insurance companies engage in a number of “bait and switch” tactics. One tactic, known as midyear formulary changes, allows insurance companies to change the prescription drug benefits and coverage AFTER open enrollment. Essentially, insurers are able to advertise and sell one plan, then offer completely different benefits and inferior coverage later in the year.
Patients Rising is joining with nearly two dozen patient and provider groups in urging Tennessee lawmakers to pass the Reliable Coverage Act (HB960/SB991). This common-sense legislation will close the loophole in Tennessee and require insurance companies to deliver the prescription coverage they promise.
Medications are rarely, if ever, equivalent. Substituting one for another is not the same as swapping out a Coke for a Pepsi. Even the difference of a few nanoparticles can have profound consequences for a patient.
Patients living with mental health challenges may spend months or years finding the right treatment in the right dosage that allows them to work or go to school. Even a few days spent adjusting to a new medication can force patients to miss work or be absent from school, exacerbating an underlying mental health issue and initiating a downward health spiral.
A switch can have lasting damage to a patient’s recovery. In some cases, stopping and then restarting a medication can undermine a treatment’s effectiveness. When this occurs, patients are not only directly harmed, but are likely to require additional, more costly health care. Ultimately, it drives up the cost of health care with increased hospitalizations, additional emergency room visits, and more expensive treatments.
If you live in Tennessee, take the time to contact your state lawmakers and urge support for the Reliable Coverage Act. Together, we can help make sure that patients are treated fairly and have access to the right treatment. For more information, check out the #ReliableCoverageAct Coalition page.