The Trump administration’s deal with insurers shows that it’s possible to reduce delays and administrative burden without imposing rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates.
Americans increasingly need a permission slip from their insurance company before they can get medical care. And it’s driving them crazy. According to one recent survey, nearly three-quarters of patients find delays and denials of treatment by insurers to be a major problem with our health-care system.
Fortunately, a new federal initiative may address their concerns. The Trump administration recently struck a deal with insurers to streamline “prior authorization,” whereby patients and doctors must secure approval for certain treatments before an insurer will pay for them. The effort could meaningfully reduce delays for patients, while avoiding the Obamacare-style mandates that have catalyzed an affordability crisis in the insurance market.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
How Trump’s ‘Prior Authorization’ Deal Puts Patients Ahead of Paperwork
Sally C. Pipes
The Trump administration’s deal with insurers shows that it’s possible to reduce delays and administrative burden without imposing rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates.
Americans increasingly need a permission slip from their insurance company before they can get medical care. And it’s driving them crazy. According to one recent survey, nearly three-quarters of patients find delays and denials of treatment by insurers to be a major problem with our health-care system.
Fortunately, a new federal initiative may address their concerns. The Trump administration recently struck a deal with insurers to streamline “prior authorization,” whereby patients and doctors must secure approval for certain treatments before an insurer will pay for them. The effort could meaningfully reduce delays for patients, while avoiding the Obamacare-style mandates that have catalyzed an affordability crisis in the insurance market.
Read the op-ed here:
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.