President's Perspective: Mohammed A. Arsiwala, MD

Identify problems and carry out solutions.

That sentences encapsulates the work we do for our patients. Most of the time, that work is conducted on the individual level; we care for and treat the specific needs of each and every patient. But sometimes, it’s bigger than that, and the work Michigan’s physician community is doing to reform prior authorization practices is the perfect example.

Insurance company prior authorization and step therapy requirements drive up costs, and much more importantly, harm our patients. It’s a problem Michigan physicians and patients have been grappling with for years.

In this edition of Michigan Medicine®, you’ll hear from physicians, patients, and patient advocates from across the state about the burdens and sometimes life-threatening consequences that come with prior authorization. But more hopefully, you’ll also hear about the solution that is on the horizon.

Senate Bill 612 cuts out the red tape, dramatically improving the prior authorization process for patients and physicians alike. You’ll learn more about the specific reforms the legislation would enact, and the work the Michigan State Medical Society is doing to see it through to the finish line. 

You’ll also hear from many of the physicians, patients, and advocates who are leading the fight for reform in Lansing, and learn about the sponsor of the legislation, Senator Curt VanderWall.