UnitedHealth, Cigna Prior Authorization Moves May Signal ‘Course Correction’

Two major health insurers, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna Healthcare, say they’re reworking their prior authorization (PA) policies to improve a process that has triggered a growing chorus of complaints from health care providers and patients. The moves come as CMS is poised to finalize a new regulation that requires insurers to speed up and streamline their PA processes. Industry experts say the policy changes are long overdue and could return PA to serving a useful — rather than overly burdensome — role in the health care system.

In a March 29 post on its website, UnitedHealth wrote that starting in the third quarter of this year, it will eliminate “nearly 20% of current prior authorizations, as part of a comprehensive effort to simplify the health care experience for consumers and providers.”

0 Comments
© 2023 MMIT
Leslie Small

Leslie Small

Leslie has been reporting and editing in various journalism roles for nearly a decade. Most recently, she was the senior editor of FierceHealthPayer, an e-newsletter covering the health insurance industry. A graduate of Penn State University, she previously served in editing roles at newspapers in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado.

Related Posts

patient-and-nurse-with-pills
March 16

Study Suggests Part D Payers’ Prior Authorization Policies for New Drugs May Be Too Strict

READ MORE
post-default-image
August 6

Texas Prior Authorization Law Ignites Accountability Debate

Read More
cms-website
December 9

New Prior Authorization Reforms May Not Be Problematic for Health Plans

READ MORE

GAIN THERAPEUTIC AREA-SPECIFIC INTEL TO DRIVE ACCESS FOR YOUR BRAND

Sign up for publications to get unmatched business intelligence delivered to your inbox.

subscribe today