Major US health provider drops prior authorization for 30% of services — and 93% of doctors say it's long overdue

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is the largest wellness insurer successful America, covering much than 29 cardinal people, according to the American Medical Association (1). Unfortunately, arsenic CNBC reported past year, it has besides go the "face of America's wellness security frustrations" (2).

The fatal shooting of the company's CEO Brian Thompson successful December of 2024 brought to the forefront the intense frustrations radical person with UHC. In fact, his decease prompted calls for reforms and criticisms of the security industry's absorption connected profits implicit people.

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UHC was adjacent sued by shareholders (3) for allegedly misrepresenting the interaction of the nationalist backlash connected its business, which the shareholders claimed caused a crisp driblet successful the banal price.

Now, however, UnitedHealthcare has really made a affirmative move, announcing a caller argumentation that volition chopped reddish portion and marque it easier for immoderate patients to get the aesculapian services they need.

UnitedHealthcare makes a large alteration to unfastened up entree to attraction

UnitedHealthcare issued a quality merchandise connected May 5 (4), announcing the large alteration that galore policyholders volition welcome. The insurer said it is eliminating anterior authorization requirements for 30% of wellness attraction services that antecedently required approval.

A afloat database volition soon go disposable connected UHCProvider.com (5), and the changes volition spell into effect by the extremity of 2026. UHC has already said that the anterior authorization requirements would beryllium eliminated for:

• Echocardiograms and definite different diagnostic tests

• Some outpatient surgeries

• Some outpatient therapies

• Chiropractic care

"Prior authorization is an indispensable safeguard but should lone beryllium utilized erstwhile it genuinely protects patients and improves care," Tim Noel, CEO of UHC, said successful the connection announcing the change.

"Eliminating these requirements is 1 much mode we are moving to marque it easier for patients to get the attraction they request erstwhile they request it and guarantee doctors tin walk much clip with their patients. We are committed to further improving and refining our processes to marque reviews quicker, simpler, and much efficient."

It's worthy noting that UHC did person the highest denial rates successful the manufacture successful the past, according to a ValuePenguin study (6). A Senate study (7) besides criticized the insurer for precocious denial rates for nursing attraction to changeable victims connected its Medicare Advantage plans, and it was sued (8) for utilizing AI to contradict claims.