When Joani Reisen said her health insurance suddenly cut off coverage for her critical medication, she turned to an unlikely source for help.

Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is the leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania, serving approximately 3.5 million people. For months, it denied repeated requests by Reisen's doctors to cover Concerta, the brand name for the prescription drug methylphenidate, which is used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The Delaware County woman said she's relied on the medication for more than a decade.

"It focuses me," she said. "I didn't get diagnosed till I was in my 40s, when my son got diagnosed, and I remember taking my first medication pill and going, 'Wow, is this what normal people feel like?' It was like all the noise

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