WASHINGTON – Consumers for Quality Care welcomes today’s announcement by major insurers including Aetna, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross, to streamline and reduce the use of prior authorization — a long-overdue step to ease the burden on patients and their families.

For years, prior authorization processes have been a source of deep frustration, confusion, and harm for patients and their families. Too often, it has resulted in delayed or denied care, forcing consumers to navigate a maze of opaque forms and denials and undermining trust in our health care system. These burdens are not just administrative — they have real, and often times life-threatening consequences.

“For too long, prior authorization has acted as a major barrier between patients and the care they need and deserve,” said Jim Manley, Board Member at Consumers for Quality Care. “This announcement is a step in the right direction, but insurers must follow through — not just with promises, but with meaningful action that makes a difference in people’s lives. Patients shouldn’t be forced to wait, fight, or fear being denied the care they’ve been prescribed. We’ll be watching closely to make sure these changes deliver real results for consumers.”

According to the announcement, insurers plan to implement a series of voluntary reforms over the next 18 months. These include streamlining the prior authorization process with the goal of providing real-time decisions for 80 percent of requests by 2027, working with providers to adopt faster electronic submissions, and reducing the number of services that require prior authorization. Insurers have also committed to more consistent standards for documentation and pledged to protect patients who switch insurance plans by continuing previously approved treatments for at least 90 days.

We urge insurers, regulators, and lawmakers to continue prioritizing reforms that protect patients, eliminate unnecessary red tape, and guarantee that high-quality care is timely, accessible, and affordable. CQC will continue to elevate the voices of consumers and fight for a system that puts people — not profits — at the center of care.