Last year, when the United States Department of Health and Human Services held a press conference with insurance companies announcing they would reform the prior authorization system, we posted about it here and said we would be watching to see if those promises turned into real… pic.twitter.com/ZhIwZGwvWS
— Elisabeth Potter MD (@EPotterMD) March 15, 2026
Last year, when the United States Department of Health and Human Services held a press conference with insurance companies announcing they would reform the prior authorization system, we posted about it here and said we would be watching to see if those promises turned into real change.
We’ve been watching.
Eight months later, what are we seeing?
From where I sit, the answer is the same thing patients and physicians have been dealing with for years.
Just this week, one of my patient’s cancer surgeries was canceled because of a prior authorization issue.
This is exactly the kind of situation those promises were supposed to prevent.
At this point, I think we can all agree that press conferences and pledges are not enough.
An industry that repeatedly fails to keep its word should not be trusted to regulate itself.
Patients deserve more than promises.
They deserve action.
They deserve accountability.
And when insurance decisions delay or deny necessary care, there should be real consequences.
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