After Man’s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization By Lauren Sausser April 1, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/prior-authorization-insurance-delays-coverage-denials-state-laws-west-virginia/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--1iInYHbKHXYKqm09Op7Mb2v6rXrUlFpDbrC2t6ETHhYLNXB7sT_tCHvtRsiJXYppflnO0cTcYsAU-yr-ZQeAfDYZyag&_hsmi=412113676&utm_content=412113676&utm_source=hs_email After Man’s Death Following Insurance Denials, West Virginia Tackles Prior Authorization By Lauren Sausser After Eric Tennant died, his widow vowed to speak out against West Virginia’s Public Employees Insurance Agency, which had denied cancer treatment recommended by Tennant’s doctor. Her efforts paid off. In March, West Virginia’s governor signed a bill to protect some patients from harm tied to prior authorization. Designed by health insurance companies to prevent doctors from deploying expensive, ineffectual procedures, prior authorization — sometimes called preauthorization or pre-certification — has become a confusing maze that denies or delays care, burdens physicians with paperwork, and perpetuates racial disparities. Proposed federal rules may not be enough to solve the problems. https://kffhealthnews.org/deadly-denials/?utm_campaign=khn-weeklyedition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2anqtz-9msaeap5jvtdve8rvplnrx33dmz7x9vk4qmvioyq6plxu894uot3cc-2djchmv1sppzgny7mdxqbklffjkrkuj8kxm8w&_hsmi=412113676&utm_content=412113676&utm_source=hs_email