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Patients, physicians, including AMA President, testify in support of D.C. bill to reform prior authorization
The Council of the District of Columbia’s Health Committee held a hearing last week to debate the “Prior Authorization Reform Amendment Act of 2023”—legislation to reform the prior authorization process for residents of the District.
Residents, patient organizations, medical societies and individual physicians provided powerful testimony in support of the bill to reduce response times, improve continuity of care, decrease prior authorization volume, and ensure only qualified physicians are denying care on behalf of the health plans. Among those testifying, AMA President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, told the committee that the volume of prior authorization is increasing and has extended to not just high-priced medications, but to generics and long-standing medications for which there are no cheaper alternatives.
He illustrated the very real patient harm associated with these care delays, and the moral harm he and his colleagues experience as they want to spend more time with their patients and provide the best care.
