As a doctor, nothing is more frustrating than when high health care costs and red tape from insurance companies stand in the way of my ability to care for my patients. But sadly, that is too often the case due to the fact that we have a health care system that prioritizes profit over the well-being of patients.

We have a chance this year, however, to make important fixes to the system to put the health needs of Colorado families first with House Bill 1370. It will make much-needed, common sense reforms that make prescription medications and health care more affordable and dependable by requiring transparency and accountability when it comes to costs, ensuring cost savings go to consumers and not in the pockets of the insurance industry, and helping ensure patients get the treatment recommended by their physician, not their insurance company.

Despite recent wins at Colorado’s Legislature that make care more affordable – including the passage of legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board that will keep prescription medication prices in check; a Colorado health insurance option; and a reinsurance program that will lower the cost of premiums – more work is needed to reduce overall out-of-pocket costs for Coloradans.

Two thirds of Coloradans say they’re not confident they can pay for their usual health needs with their existing coverage, according to a study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We also know that nearly half of all Coloradans have put off a recommended medical procedure or treatment because an insurance company denied it, it was too expensive, or they couldn’t get services where they lived. This is, frankly, unacceptable. Delayed care leads to worse health outcomes and higher long-term costs.

In particular, out-of-pocket costs related to prescription medications are simply too high for many Colorado families to afford. Nearly half of Coloradans, 47%, are currently taking prescription medications, and over half of all Coloradans worry they won’t be able to afford the medications they need to stay healthy.

House Bill 1370 will immediately reduce out-of-pocket prescription medication costs by passing rebates onto consumers rather than being pocketed by insurance carriers and pharmacy benefit managers, ensuring cost savings are going directly to Colorado families. It also bans insurers from dropping coverage or raising out-of-pocket costs for medications midway through a patient’s one-year contract. This, in addition to other important reforms laid out in HB-1370, allows Coloradans to plan ahead for expenses and know exactly what they’ll be expected to pay.

The bill also reforms a process called step therapy, in which insurers refuse to cover certain medications that doctors like myself recommend for patients until they try and fail on a medication that is not medically recommended. Troublingly, insurers don’t always take into account a patient’s medical history when determining what medications are covered, putting their health at risk. Too often, insurance companies overstep medical professionals in determining what medications patients should get. It’s simple: doctors should decide what is best for patients, not insurers. Forcing patients to try and fail alternative medications before getting what they need can lead to adverse side effects, resulting in a worsening of one’s condition that can, in some cases, result in a costly increase in health care needs for that patient. That doesn’t sound like cost savings to me, and it can seriously harm a patient’s health.

For patients with chronic conditions, managing their health needs and finding treatment that works so that they can lead normal, productive lives is an uphill battle as it is. When insurance companies require them to jump through additional hoops, the results can be deadly serious. For the lucky ones who have found medication they can rely on to manage their symptoms, our current system allows that reliability to be taken away at the drop of a hat, and they can be forced to make an impossible choice between paying hundreds or even thousands more for medication, or forgoing the treatment they know works to keep them healthy.

We need to do better for Colorado patients, and particularly Coloradans for whom the ability to get care is the determining factor in whether they can lead healthy, productive lives. We also need to ensure that doctors like me can do our jobs and guarantee patients are getting the best possible care so that everyone in our state can thrive. It’s time to pass HB-1370 to make health care affordable and dependable for Coloradans.

Michael Belmonte, M.D., is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Aurora.