Health insurers move to streamline prior authorization process, promising quicker care
CBSN
UnitedHealthcare , Kaiser Permanente and other major U.S. health insurers say they want to make it faster and easier for patients to obtain care.
Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade association that represents the health insurance industry, announced Monday that some of its biggest members are taking steps to streamline "prior authorization" — industry jargon for the process by which health care providers obtain approval from patients' insurance carriers to deliver care.
Prior authorization requests can be time-consuming for doctors, resulting in frustrating delays for patients in obtaining essential medical care. According to a survey from the American Medical Medical Association, physicians' offices spend an average of 12 hours per week seeking approval for services from insurers, administrative hurdles that critics say takes time away from providing care.
