healio.com
Most patients with IBD ‘still experience significant challenges’ accessing, affording care
Access and insurance issues can delay IBD medications and lead patients to skip doses or make financial sacrifices. That can worsen health and daily life, so this affects many people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Adult patients with IBD (including those on biologics), caregivers, clinicians who prescribe IBD therapies, patient advocates, and policy makers.
What To Know
Study-based news: A 52-item online survey of 2,281 U.S. respondents (patients and caregivers) presented at Crohn’s & Colitis Congress found that more than half reported medication access delays—most commonly insurance prior-authorization issues—and many people made financial trade-offs to afford IBD care.
The article highlights specific findings: prior authorization and lack of coverage were common barriers, many patients spent long times on the phone with insurers, and around 15% reported taking less medication or skipping doses to save money. Respondents also reported giving up vacations or major purchases and increasing credit card debt to manage costs.
The piece frames these results as evidence supporting advocacy and policy reform (for example, the Safe Step Act) to improve medication access and affordability for people with IBD. This Healio summary is a news report of survey results and commentary rather than new clinical trial data or treatment guidance.
These results come from a patient/caregiver survey presented at a conference and reference a published abstract; surveys reflect patient experience and perceptions and do not prove causality. The article is a news summary emphasizing access and policy implications rather than clinical recommendations.
