From lawmakers unveiling gold-card legislation to UnitedHealthcare detailing plans to cut 20 percent of requirements, here are six prior authorization updates Becker's has reported since July 26:
1. Humana ended a cataract surgery prior authorization policy for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Georgia that had been criticized by ophthalmology groups.
2. Two U.S. representatives introduced gold-card legislation that would exempt qualifying providers from prior authorization requirements for Medicare Advantage plans.
3. The first wave of UnitedHealthcare's 20 percent reduction in prior authorization requirements takes effect Sept. 1. The remainder of the reductions will occur Nov. 1.
4. The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association urged CMS not to move forward with implementing electronic transaction standards for healthcare attachments during prior authorization they say would create "costly burdens" across the healthcare industry.
5. Payer executives shared with Becker's what they think are the biggest misconceptions about prior authorization.
6. A bill aiming to reform the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process was included in a package of healthcare legislation that passed the House Ways and Means Committee and is headed to the full House for further consideration.