Meeting Public Comments

Kelly Barta [Allergy & Asthma Network]

Allergy & Asthma Network, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and improving the health of people with allergies, asthma and related conditions, strongly supports bill HF 372, which ensures prescription stability by restricting nonmedical switching practices.Nonmedical switching occurs when patients are stable on a therapy, and the health plan makes insurance coverage changes that forces patients off their current therapies for reasons other than the patients medical needs typically saving money for the health plan but hurting consumers in the long run. Patients with chronic diseases such as asthma, are most affected by nonmedical switching because they rely upon a stable medication regimen to manage their condition in order to go about their daily lives. When patients have an interruption in accessing the therapy that stabilizes their condition, they may face reemerging symptoms and new side effects, experience irreversible disease progression, or even hospitalization or emergency room visits. Allergy & Asthma Network supports legislation that helps patients stay on their medication ensuring that those who are successfully using a treatment do not have to switch. We urge you to support HF372 and vote it through the Human Resources Subcommittee hearing. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please contact me or our State Advocacy Lead, Kelly Barta, at (770) 8813291 to learn more and visit us at www.AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org.