Why carry out this study?

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease associated with multidimensional burdens. Patients can face insurance coverage issues when trying to get prescribed treatments.

The administrative cost and burden of coverage delays and denials for dermatology practices have been well documented; however, little is known about the patient perspective on the frequency and impact of insurance coverage delays and denials across all AD medications currently prescribed.

Questions asked: What is the patient and caregiver experience with barriers to AD prescription treatment access? Do patients know what to do when faced with a coverage issue, and how long does it take to resolve?

What was learned from the study?

In this cross-sectional survey study, 978 patients faced 645 insurance coverage delays or denials for AD prescriptions in the past year, with 48% of respondents experiencing at least one delay/denial. Wait times for medications often exceeded the recommended time of 24–72 h (91%), and for many patients there was confusion around the reason for the insurer’s decision or what to do when faced with a coverage issue.

Patients with AD frequently experience issues obtaining recommended therapies, which, combined with lack of knowledge about how to address the issues, can create an undue burden.