Calls for Another Look at Step Therapy Patients and Providers United wholeheartedly agrees with the sentiment – “A patient’s health care provider is in the best position to assess their patients’ medical needs.” – expressed by 58 medical specialists and provider groups that treat nearly every body system. This alliance of medical providers continues to press Xavier Becerra, Secretary of

Absence of speech may yield rich dialogue Medical student, Ryan D. Chow, practices “the art of deliberate listening.” In his article, “On the Absence of Sound” published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, he explains what happens when moments of quiet contemplation were spent in a patient’s room. In this case, not actively engaging in deep clinical conversation at the

Congressional Caucus Distinguishes Family Caregivers There are three indispensable elements of complex chronic disease treatment – patients, providers and caregivers. The dynamic among these generates strength and stability; each element leans on the others while simultaneously supporting them. Family caregivers are too often overlooked in this dynamic but are a vital part of the care team, numbering over 43.5 million

Scrapping Most Favored Nation Model The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced that it plans to formally rescind the Medicare Most Favored (MFN) Nation Model. Since MFN was initially floated back in 2018 (referred to back then as International Pricing Index model), Patients and Providers United (P+P) has steadfastly spoken out on the detrimental and disruptive impact of

The Cost of Delay is $93 Billion Not only do utilization management policies like step therapy (or “fail first”) and prior authorization delay patient care and discredit medical specialists’ expertise, experience and extensive training, they also carry a steep financial cost. There’s well-documented findings that “fail first” policies force patients to go through months of ineffective treatment with second or

Relationship Evolution of Patients, Providers and Caregivers Dr. Joseph Jacobson’s piece in the Cancer Care Chronicles of JAMA Oncology illustrates how relationships between patients, physicians and family caregivers was transformed, in unexpected ways, by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Jacobson suggests the shift that occurred reshaped how patients talk to physicians and the degree to which physicians connect with patients. Despite