Kansas physicians, health advocates speak out against ‘step therapy’ bill

Physicians and health advocates urged Kansas lawmakers not to move forward with a bill to enact “step therapy” for Medicaid patients, a cost-saving measure being pushed by Gov. Sam Brownback.

Step therapy is a process in which patients must first try less expensive treatment options and see if they work before being approved for costlier prescriptions.

Kansas law does not allow the use of step therapy for Medicaid patients, but it is widely used by private insurers. Senate Bill 341, sought by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, would allow step therapy for Medicaid patients, at an estimated savings of $11 million next fiscal year.

Sen. Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, said at a hearing of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee that Kansas was on an island with its prohibition on step therapy for Medicaid, saying that many states use it. “It’s not even new to the sickest population we take care of,” he said, pointing out that step therapy is already used for Medicare.

Denning said the bill would not force patients currently prescribed a medication to step down to less expensive drugs. He said it would only affect patients with new diagnoses for chronic conditions.

Eric Voth, a Topeka physician, said Denning was sugar-coating the impact of step therapy. He called it a “game of cat and mouse,” which delays patients getting the treatment they need.

Mental health advocates also raised concerns that the bill would apply to psychiatric drugs. Denning said it would not.

Amy Campbell, lobbyist for the Kansas Mental Health Coalition, said lawmakers should add an amendment to ensure that mental health drugs are not affected by the bill.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Kansas physicians, health advocates speak out against ‘step therapy’ bill."