Advocates Cite New Report as Evidence Why State Should Abandon Plans to Limit Access to Mental Health Medications

On July 7th, the Coalition for Healthy Communities’ Access to Medication Crisis Committee called on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to abandon plans to limit access to certain medications used to treat serious mental illness.

“We believe that limiting access to these medications places many of Ohio’s most vulnerable residents and their families at risk for hospitalization, incarceration, homelessness and the pain and suffering that comes with these chronic illnesses. These outcomes will only serve to increase the cost of serving those with mental illness,” said Jim Mauro, Executive Director of NAMI Ohio (National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio) and Chair of the Coalition for Healthy Communities Access to Medication Crisis Committee.

The Coalition points to a research report just released by Driscoll and Fleeter, an independent economic consulting firm located in Central Ohio, which studied the cost impact of a prior authorization policy on medications used to treat individuals with serious mental illness.

According to the report entitled, Estimate of the Net Cost of a Prior Authorization Requirement for Certain Mental Health Medications, “Much research has focused on the costs caused by the implementation of prior authorization requirements for drugs prescribed for the mentally ill in other states. Application of this research to Ohio enables the quantification of millions of dollars of additional costs as an unintended outcome of a prior authorization program for psychotropic drugs.” The report estimates that prior authorization would cost Ohio between $23,220,000 - $38,700,000.

“Clearly, this report shows that any claims that there will be a cost savings as a result of limiting access to mental health medications is in fact unfounded. For this reason, we urge the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to abandon plans to prior authorize medications used to treat serious mental illness,” said Mauro.

The Coalition for Healthy Communities is a 27 member organization made up agencies that advocate for, or provide services to, Ohioans with mental illness or addictive disorders.

Estimate of the Net Cost of a Prior Authorization Requirement for Certain Mental Health Medications
Executive Summary

Prepared by
Driscoll & Fleeter
for
NAMI Ohio
June 2008

Executive Summary