For patients living with cardiovascular disease, time matters. Delays in care can mean the difference between prevention and progression—or life and death.
At the 2025 Policy Pulse Summit, ABC leaders and patient advocates made clear that prior authorization and step therapy are not just administrative hurdles—they are equity issues.
Panelists shared how insurer-driven barriers routinely delay access to evidence-based cardiovascular treatments, forcing clinicians and patients to navigate complex approval processes while disease advances. These delays disproportionately affect patients who are already medically underserved, underinsured, or facing financial strain.
Even with recent policy changes—such as Medicare Part D’s annual out-of-pocket cap—many patients still cannot afford the care they are prescribed. Rising premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles continue to limit access, particularly for those who do not qualify for low-income subsidies.
Summit participants pointed to bipartisan legislative efforts supported by ABC, including the Safe Step Act and the Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, as critical steps toward reform. These bills aim to streamline prior authorization, reduce delays, and ensure timely exceptions when insurer protocols interfere with patient care.
The message from ABC was clear: administrative processes should never override clinical judgment. When access to treatment is delayed by paperwork, the system is failing patients—and deepening inequities.
True cardiovascular equity requires policies that prioritize timely, affordable, and evidence-based care for every patient, regardless of zip code or insurance status.
