Prior Authorization in Health Insurance: A Needed Tool to Contain Costs or an Excessive Barrier to Needed Care? Fecha y hora22 feb 2024 02:00 p. m.

https://kff-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/6016575551704/WN_MQJ6rvwkSb2SoUV6iKrRLg?utm_campaign=KFF-The-Latest&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=294176208&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9VYyl9GSrL7W2Ai5asedseLTriezG1YbRN8GPIupWAZqdgJSdVWU1VoSi1954q3ISzbrj7irET660bOs9O8ABiYwECbA&utm_content=294176208&utm_source=hs_email#/registration Join us for our first Health Wonk Shop of 2024 as we explore the future of prior authorization requirements in health care. The expert panel will discuss why insurers use prior authorization, its impact on patients and providers, and how the new and future regulations may change current practices. Nearly 1 in 5 consumers with health insurance say their insurer delayed or denied care in the past year due to its requirements for prior authorization, a process through which insurers can require patients to obtain approval in advance before they will agree to cover specific services. Insurers point to prior authorization as a tool to limit unnecessary and ineffective care, thereby reducing costs. However, the practice is also drawing increased scrutiny amid concerns that it creates unreasonable barriers to patients getting needed care and generates excessive paperwork burdens on doctors and other providers. Last month, federal regulators finalized new rules to govern how insurers use prior authorization in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act’s federal Marketplace plans, while lawmakers are weighing potential broader legislation. On Thursday, Feb. 22 at Noon ET, a panel of four experts will join Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, for a 45-minute discussion addressing the future of prior authorization requirements in health care. The panel will discuss why insurers use prior authorization, its impact on patients and providers, and how the new regulations may change current practices. They will also examine the potential for further regulatory or legislative actions to address ongoing concerns.