The American Medical Association Dec. 20 outlined how advocates in Michigan were able to successfully lobby state lawmakers to pass prior authorization reform legislation.
In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Health Can't Wait Act, which shortens the time payers have to consider prior authorization requests and requires payers to provide more information to the public and providers regarding the prior authorization process.
According to the AMA, efforts to pass the law included educating legislators and policy makers with data on the issue, having patients share their stories and building a coalition of concerned stakeholders called Health Can't Wait.
Flint, Mich.-based otolaryngologist Bobby Mukkamala, MD — AMA's immediate past chair — said that the state's chamber of commerce is usually in line with insurance companies on the issue, but "for the first time ever, they were neutral on this."
"They see the toll of prior authorization on the economics of the workplace,” he said.