The Biden administration moved Wednesday to force insurance companies to give specific reasons for denying coverage, and to speed up the pre-approval process in general.
The new rule applies to health insurance companies that offer Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Obamacare plans. It concerns so-called prior authorization requests, and will require insurers to return urgent requests within 72 hours and non-urgent requests within seven days.
advertisement
The changes are a win for patients seeking care, but also for health care providers like hospitals and physicians. Executives from California-based Sutter Health, Massachusetts General Brigham, and others repeatedly cited the rise in insurer denials since the pandemic at last week’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference.
Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.
Subscribe Log In
Previous article：
DOJ, FTC to increase scrutiny of all types of health care mergers
Next article： Activists slam private health insurers over coverage restrictions
Next article： Activists slam private health insurers over coverage restrictions
