Insurer inaction on prior authorization reform requires federal response

CHICAGO — More than two years after a landmark consensus statement signaled insurers were open to reforming the arduous prior authorization process, their subsequent inaction has translated into stalled progress and ongoing burdens for patients and physicians. According to new survey data released today by the American Medical Association (AMA), physicians say prior authorization continues to interfere with patient care and can lead to adverse clinical consequences, with 16% of physicians reporting that the process has led to a patient’s hospitalization. Moreover, surveyed physicians see little, if any, progress toward easing agreed-upon burdensome barriers to patient care, highlighting the need for legislative action to address a problem affecting patients across the country.