Why one leader is calling out insurers’ inaction on prior authorization

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Top Story Why One Leader Is Calling Out Insurers' Inaction on Prior Authorization The current prior authorization process in U.S. healthcare constitutes a crisis, according to Jesse Ehrenfeld, immediate past president of the American Medical Association. Prior authorization is wasting clinicians' time, delaying care and deepening public distrust — yet, payers show little urgency in fixing this problem, he said. Sponsored The Crowded Desktop Problem Presented by Veradigm Only 8% of patients receive all recommended care—5% get none. This Veradigm whitepaper explores the 'crowded desktop' problem and how user-friendly solutions can ease clinician burnout.  Read more.

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Video   What Will It Take to Fix Prior Authorization? Nowadays, there is much discussion about innovation and the role technology can play to improve the healthcare industry — but one expert is frustrated by the lack of movement in the prior authorization space. Jesse Ehrenfeld, immediate past president of the American Medical Association, pointed this out at MedCity News' INVEST conference in Chicago. The AMA has dedicated a lot of time and effort to working with payers and providers to establish a set of consensus guidelines for what the prior authorization process should look like — but payers aren't really coming to the table to make the necessary changes, Ehrenfeld said. "Got thrown out the window, completely ignored by the payer community," he stated.

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