Step therapy is required in countries with universal healthcare, too.

It can actually be harder to get access to new therapies in countries with universal healthcare because they’re more uniform and strict in what they allow.

For a relatable example: The UK just raised the age of eligibility for COVID vaccines all the way up to 75 years old: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/covid-russian-roulette-... Contrast this with the US where COVID vaccine coverage is a basic expectation of health insurance for all ages. And that’s for a simple, cheap medicine without step therapy! It doesn’t matter if your doctor thinks you need it, the rules are set from the top.

> Step therapy is required in countries with universal healthcare, too.

This is something Americans with strong opinions about healthcare but little time spent researching it never seem to know.