Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 28 views

    NASPGHAN Senate Safe Step Act Endorsement 4. 2021

    Uploaded by

    Lisa Meloy
    The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) endorses the Safe Step Act (S. 464) which would require group health plans to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol. NASPGHAN supports this legislation to prevent payors from requiring pediatric patients stable on biologic therapies, which are vital treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, to switch medications without input from their treating physician. The Safe Step Act would create an exception allowing pediatric patients to remain on a biologic if that is the physician's recommendation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    NASPGHAN Senate Safe Step Act Endorsement 4. 2021

    Uploaded by

    Lisa Meloy
    28 views2 pages
    The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) endorses the Safe Step Act (S. 464) which would require group health plans to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol. NASPGHAN supports this legislation to prevent payors from requiring pediatric patients stable on biologic therapies, which are vital treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, to switch medications without input from their treating physician. The Safe Step Act would create an exception allowing pediatric patients to remain on a biologic if that is the physician's recommendation.

    Original Description:

    NASPGHAN Senate Safe Step Act Endorsement

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) endorses the Safe Step Act (S. 464) which would require group health plans to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol. NASPGHAN supports this legislation to prevent payors from requiring pediatric patients stable on biologic therapies, which are vital treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, to switch medications without input from their treating physician. The Safe Step Act would create an exception allowing pediatric patients to remain on a biologic if that is the physician's recommendation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    28 views2 pages

    NASPGHAN Senate Safe Step Act Endorsement 4. 2021

    Uploaded by

    Lisa Meloy
    The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) endorses the Safe Step Act (S. 464) which would require group health plans to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol. NASPGHAN supports this legislation to prevent payors from requiring pediatric patients stable on biologic therapies, which are vital treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, to switch medications without input from their treating physician. The Safe Step Act would create an exception allowing pediatric patients to remain on a biologic if that is the physician's recommendation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    _______________

    NASPGHAN
    714 N Bethlehem Pike
    Suite 300
    Ambler, PA 19002
    215-641-9800

    April 29, 2021


    PRESIDENT
    Benjamin D. Gold, MD
    GI Care for Kids, LLC
    Children’s Center for Digestive Healthcare LLC
    993-D Johnson Ferry Road, NE, Suite 440
    Atlanta, GA 30342 The Honorable Lisa Murkowski The Honorable Margaret Hassan
    404-257-0799 522 Hart Senate Office Building 324 Hart Senate Office Building
    [email protected]
    U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
    PRESIDENT-ELECT Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
    Jenifer R. Lightdale, MD, MPH
    UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center
    Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition The Honorable Bill Cassidy The Honorable Jacky Rosen
    55 Lake Avenue North 520 Hart Senate Office Building 713 Hart Senate Office Building
    Worcester, MA 02467 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
    774-441-8082
    [email protected] Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
    PAST PRESIDENT Dear Senators Murkowski, Hassan, Cassidy and Rosen:
    Karen F. Murray, MD
    Cleveland Clinic Children’s
    8850 Euclid Ave., R3 The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
    Cleveland, OH 44195
    216-444-2344
    (NASPGHAN) is pleased to offer its endorsement of the Safe Step Act (S. 464) to amend
    [email protected] the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan (or
    health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan) to provide an exceptions
    SECRETARY – TREASURER
    Norberto Rodriguez-Baez, MD process for any medication step therapy protocol.
    Department of Pediatrics
    University of Texas Southwestern Medical NASPGHAN is comprised of more than 2,500 pediatric gastroenterologists in 46 states,
    Center/Children’s Health Dallas
    1935 Medical District Drive the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and eight provinces in Canada. The mission
    Dallas, TX 75235 of NASPGHAN is to advance understanding of normal development, physiology and
    215-456-8000 pathophysiology of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (i.e., digestive disease), liver and
    [email protected]
    pancreas in children, improve the quality of care for these children with digestive disease
    EXECUTIVE COUNCIL by fostering the dissemination of this knowledge through scientific meetings, professional
    Stacy Kahn, MD
    and public education, and policy development, and serve as an effective voice for
    Boston, MA members and the profession.
    Ericka Montijo Barrios, MD, PhD
    Naucalpan, Mexico Increasingly, payors are requiring step therapy, prior authorization, and non-medical drug
    switching for biologic therapies used in children with inflammatory bowel disease, often
    John Pohl, MD overriding prescribing recommendations of the treating physician. Most concerning is
    Salt Lake City, UT
    payors requiring pediatric patients who are stable on a biologic to switch to a different
    Rachel Rosen, MD, MA biologic, or typically what is called a biosimilar; requiring a limited choice of initial
    Boston, MA biologic; or designating the sequence of biologic therapies.
    Jonathan Teitelbaum, MD
    Long Branch, NJ These decisions by payors are typically made without regard to medical necessity or
    Justine Turner, MD, PhD
    clinical indications and without input from the primary pediatric gastroenterologist caring
    Edmonton, B for the child.

    Biologics are vital therapeutic tools in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, but
    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR their use is coupled with ongoing collection of clinical efficacy and safety data, and their
    Margaret K. Stallings interchangeability is not well understood, with limited clinical data, especially in pediatric
    [email protected]
    patients who face a lifetime of disease and treatment. NASPGHAN has had limited
    NASPGHAN Annual Meeting success in convincing payors to provide exceptions to non-medical switching of biologics
    November 4-6-2021 in pediatric populations and is why passage of the Safe Step Act is critically needed.
    Nashville, TN
    ______________
    We are specifically grateful your legislation would create an exception to medication step-therapy when a patient is stable on a medication
    previously approved. This exception will allow pediatric patients who are stable on a specific biologic therapy to remain on that biologic
    if that is the recommendation of the treating physician.

    Pediatric gastroenterologists are spending entirely too much time fighting with insurance companies to ensure their patients get
    recommended care. NASPGHAN stands ready to work with you achieve enactment of the Safe Step Act this year.

    Should you have questions or require additional information, please contact Camille Bonta, NASPGHAN policy advisor, at (202) 320-
    3658 or [email protected].

    Sincerely,

    Benjamin D. Gold, MD, FAAP, FACG


    President
    North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

    cc: The Honorable Cindy Hyde-Smith


    The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand
    The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema
    The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
    The Honorable Mazie Hirono
    The Honorable Thom Tillis
    The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen
    The Honorable Kevin Cramer
    The Honorable Jeff Merkley
    The Honorable Richard Blumenthal

    You might also like