Health care coalition calls for prior authorization reform

Responding to unreasonable hurdles for patients seeking care, a coalition including the American Medical Association (AMA) and 16 other health care organizations today urged health plans, benefit managers and others to reform prior authorization requirements imposed on medical tests, procedures, devices and drugs. 

The coalition, which represents hospitals, medical groups, patients, pharmacists and physicians, says that requiring pre-approval by insurers before patients can get certain drugs or treatments can delay or interrupt medical services, divert significant resources from patient care and complicate medical decisions. Concerns that aggressive prior authorization programs place cost savings ahead of optimal care have led Delaware, Ohio and Virginia to recently join other states in passing strong patient protection legislation.