Legislation aiming to reform the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process has the backing of 389 national and state organizations, ranging from the American Hospital Association to Humana.
Here are what four organizations supporting the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act said about the legislation:
American Hospital Association: The AHA greatly appreciates the leadership from this bipartisan group of senators and representatives by reintroducing vital legislation to streamline the broken prior authorization process in the Medicare Advantage program. By removing unnecessary barriers that create delays in treatment, this meaningful bill will improve access to care for seniors and allow caregivers to spend more valuable time at the bedside with patients and less time on burdensome paperwork.
American Medical Association: This legislation will streamline the prior authorization process so physicians can offer patients safe, timely and affordable care. Those decisions should be made between patients and their doctors without being second-guessed by insurers. The bipartisan and bicameral support for the bill is evidence that this is a common-sense proposal that deserves to be passed.
Better Medicare Alliance: This legislation addresses one of the most common issues we hear about from our beneficiary network and ally groups. Prior authorization is an important tool in Medicare Advantage, and it is vital that we streamline this process for seniors. [...] With more than 33 million seniors now choosing Medicare Advantage, this work is more urgent and necessary than ever. We are pleased to join with hundreds of national organizations in support of this bill.
Humana: Humana is proud to continue to support the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which will further modernize the prior authorization process and ensure that patients receive high-quality, safe and affordable care. We are encouraged that the bill promotes expediting approvals of care through greater adoption of electronic prior authorization, which has been demonstrated to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for patients.