Patients Before Paperwork is a coalition of experts, providers, advocates, and patients united to eliminate administrative barriers to mental health care.
Our Vision
We envision a Pennsylvania where mental health medications are immediate and accessible, guided by clinical expertise rather than delays, hurdles, and paperwork.
We believe that when providers are free to treat patients without red tape, recovery begins sooner, hospitalizations decrease, and resources are directed to those with the greatest need.
Pennsylvania’s mental-health system is overwhelmed. Emergency departments and psychiatric units are at capacity, while clinicians spend hours on prior authorizations and “fail-first” requirements that delay care.
These delays have real consequences, increasing the likelihood of relapse, hospitalization, and suicide.
Challenges
House Bill 1519 ends prior authorization, step therapy, and fail-first rules for mental-health medications in both commercial and Medicaid plans. It paves the way for patients to receive the care recommended by their doctors, without costly delays.
This reform puts treatment decisions back in the hands of medical professionals, not insurance paperwork—restoring time, efficiency, and dignity to the delivery of care.
Solutions
Impact
Across states that have removed prior authorization barriers, the results are clear: better outcomes, lower costs, and stronger systems of care.
24 STATES
Have adopted open-access policies without raising spending.
$2,400
Additional annual Medicaid cost per enrollee caused by treatment delays.
Benefits
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Timely, uninterrupted care that helps patients stay stable, avoid setbacks, and make meaningful progress in their recovery.
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Less time spent on paperwork and administrative hurdles, and more time focused on patient care and clinical decision-making.
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Reduced hospitalizations, lower overall costs, and more efficient use of psychiatric beds—helping ensure limited resources are available for patients with the most urgent needs.
Access
Recovery
Efficiency
Our Partners
