Major Health Insurers Agree to Simplify Prior Authorizations

Major U.S. insurers said they would streamline the prior authorization process.

Health insurance trade association AHIP said the changes would be implemented across insurance markets, including commercial coverage, Medicaid managed care, and Medicare Advantage plans, and benefit 257 million Americans. 

“The health care system remains fragmented and burdened by outdated manual processes, resulting in frustration for patients and providers alike,” AHIP CEO Mike Tuffin said. “Health plans are making voluntary commitments to deliver a more seamless patient experience and enable providers to focus on patient care, while also helping to modernize the system.”

The changes would affect patients covered by insurance providers that include CVS Health (CVS), UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) UnitedHealthcare, Cigna (CI), and Humana (HUM). The move comes after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December brought attention to the prior authorization process.