Arizona Access First Alliance

The Arizona Access First Alliance, an Aimed Alliance initiative, is a group of patients, providers, and advocacy organizations interested in supporting prior authorization and step therapy reform for those living with serious mental illness.

Given the complexity of treating serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, OCD, and the risks for individuals and healthcare systems when these conditions go untreated, the Access First Alliance is supporting legislation that limits and/or bans the use of step therapy and prior authorization for serious mental illnesses. As of 2025, 4 states have already banned the use of step therapy for serious mental illness; 9 states were considering legislation; and 24 state Medicaid programs allow open access formularies for serious mental illness treatments.

Building on Aimed Alliance’s success in New York, Aimed Alliance is now working with Arizona advocacy organizations to expand protections for Arizonans. If you are interested in supporting these efforts in Arizona, please contact Ashira Vantrees, Director of Legal Strategy & Advocacy, at avantrees@aimedalliance.org.