No one likes to jump through hoops to get what they need. In healthcare, it can be deadly. According to the American Medical Association’s recent survey of US physicians, insurers’ prior authorization (PA) processes unnecessarily delay care delivery and, often, negatively affect patient outcomes.

30% of doctors surveyed reported waiting on PA decisions for three or more business days. 54% reported that PA bottlenecks always or often delay care. And a whopping 92% of respondents said they believe PA requirements negatively affect health outcomes.

Now, Congress may act to reform the process.

The bipartisan Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act of 2018 (H.R. 4841), introduced in January, would require Medicare Part D plans to electronically transmit and receive PA approvals for prescriptions which, its sponsors say, could ease authorization logjams on the payer side and streamline PA processes across the entire care delivery system.

Get the full story here, from Medical Economics‘ John Frank.