The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services outlined changes that will be made to speed up and align the prior authorization process across all payers, Healthcare Finance reports.
CMS released the proposed rule on expanding access to health information and improving the prior authorization process on December 6. CMS estimates that efficiencies introduced through the new rule would save practices and hospitals over $15 billion over a 10-year period.
One reason for implementing the changes is physician and clinician burnout, said Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy.
Current prior authorization, with its requirements to fax information and signatures, causes delays and sometimes results in patients abandoning care, he said.
Institutions have to hire people full time just to work on prior authorization, Murthy said. It is increasing clinician burden and driving burnout.
“This is a crisis for all of us,” he said. Read more.
