Patients can be denied access to their medicine for days, even weeks because of a practice called “prior authorization.” It’s the process whereby insurance companies must approve a physician-prescribed medicine, procedure or test before a patient can get coverage.
Cystic fibrosis is a lethal genetic disease that causes excessive mucus in vital organs, most notably the lungs. Patients struggle to breathe and face chronic and debilitating lung infections. Over time, cystic fibrosis damages the lungs and organs, and patients can suffer from severe digestive problems, diabetes, liver disease, and male infertility. The leading cause of death is respiratory failure.
