# Insurers Continue Prior Authorization Delays Despite Reform Pledges

Insurance companies maintain widespread use of prior authorization requirements despite public commitments to streamline the approval process, creating persistent delays for patients seeking medical treatment and procedures.

Doctors and patients report that insurers regularly deny or postpone authorization requests, forcing physicians to spend valuable time appealing decisions and patients to wait for necessary care. The practice requires doctors to obtain insurance company approval before providing certain treatments, medications, or procedures. While insurers argue prior authorization prevents unnecessary spending and protects patients from ineffective treatments, physicians argue the system wastes time and delays needed medical care.

The American Medical Association and numerous physician groups have criticized prior authorization as a significant burden. Studies show doctors spend an average of 14 hours per week on prior authorization tasks, diverting attention from patient care. Approximately 90% of physician practices report that prior authorization delays affect patient outcomes, according to surveys cited by medical organizations.

Insurance companies like UnitedHealth, Aetna, and Cigna pledged reforms following public pressure and congressional scrutiny, yet the delays continue. Some insurers implemented faster review timelines for urgent cases, but standard approvals still take days or weeks. Meanwhile, patients with cancer, heart disease, and other serious conditions often cannot wait.

The delays particularly harm vulnerable populations. Low-income patients and those in rural areas struggle to navigate the appeals process. Some patients abandon recommended treatments because of authorization delays or switch to less effective alternatives their insurers approve more quickly.

Lawmakers have introduced bills to regulate prior authorization, requiring faster response times and greater transparency. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has scheduled hearings on the issue. States like New York and California have enacted stricter authorization rules, though enforcement remains inconsistent.

Healthcare reform advocates call for eliminating prior authorization for routine treatments and limiting it to experimental therapies or high-