Big Changes Coming to Health Insurance Approvals

Big health insurance companies are making changes to speed up the process of getting approval for medical care. This process is called "prior authorization. " It's when doctors ask for permission from insurance companies before they can treat patients. Right now, this process is slow and frustrating. Doctors spend a lot of time filling out paperwork instead of taking care of patients. The American Medical Association says doctors spend about 12 hours every week on these requests. The insurance companies have promised to make things better. They plan to create a standard online system for submitting requests. They also want to reduce the number of requests needed and respond to them in real-time. These changes are expected to start in 2026 and 2027. Mike Tuffin, the CEO of AHIP, says the current system is outdated and causes frustration for everyone. He hopes these changes will make the process smoother and help doctors focus on patient care. Shawn Martin, the CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians, thinks this is a good start. But he says the real test will be whether these changes actually help patients and doctors. Many insurance companies have signed onto this agreement. This includes big names like UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and many Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. In total, these changes could affect over 250 million Americans. The list of companies involved is long and includes many well-known names in the insurance industry. These companies are hoping to make the prior authorization process faster and easier for everyone involved.