Americans increasingly need a permission slip from their insurance company before they can get medical care. And it’s driving them crazy. According to one recent survey, nearly three-quarters of patients find delays and denials of treatment by insurers to be a major problem with our health-care system.
Fortunately, a new federal initiative may address their concerns. The Trump administration recently struck a deal with insurers to streamline “prior authorization,” whereby patients and doctors must secure approval for certain treatments before an insurer will pay for them. The effort could meaningfully reduce delays for patients, while avoiding the Obamacare-style mandates that have catalyzed an affordability crisis in the insurance market.
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