Reflexology pressing on certain parts of the foot to produce an effect elsewhere in the body." The Australian Government's Department of Health define reflexology as "a system of applying pressure, usually to the feet, which practitioners believe stimulates energy and releases 'blockages' in specific areas that cause pain or illness." In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered by health insurance; reflexology was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found. Accordingly In 2017 the
Step therapy availability to the patient. The use of generic drugs when possible allows health care plans to pursue both of these goals effectively. Physicians and managed care providers may disagree on the proper step therapy and patients are encouraged to become knowledgeable in managing their own care. Opponents of step therapy, such as Fail First Hurts, have detailed the pitfalls of step therapy. "Fail First is used by health insurers to control costs. It is time-consuming from a physician and patient standpoint, is more expensive from a direct and indirect out-of-pocket cost perspective, denies patients the drugs they need when they