House Passes Bill to Streamline Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization

On September 12, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173). If approved, the legislation  would streamline prior authorization requirements under Medicare Advantage plans. According to the American Hospital Association, the bill would “establish an electronic prior authorization process and reduce how long a health plan can consider a prior authorization request; create a ‘real-time decisions’ process for routinely approved services; require plans to report on their prior authorization use and rate of approvals and denials; and encourage plans to adopt policies that adhere to evidence-based guidelines.”

In addition, there is support in the U.S. Senate for companion legislation.

To read the full text, see here.