UnitedHealthcare removes prior approval requirements for 30% of healthcare services

May 5 (Reuters) – UnitedHealth will eliminate prior approval requirements for 30% of healthcare services, its insurance unit said on Tuesday, further reducing delays and paperwork for patients and doctors.

Health insurers have been taking measures to simplify their requirements ​for prior authorization on medicines and medical services after complaints from patients and doctors on the excessive paperwork that can delay or even deny needed care.

• UnitedHealth’s insurance ​unit will eliminate an additional 30% of remaining prior authorizations on select outpatient surgeries, some diagnostic tests like echocardiograms, and certain outpatient therapies and chiropractic care by the end of this year.

• “Eliminating these requirements is one more way we are working to make it easier for patients to get the care they need when they need it and ensure doctors can spend more time with their patients,” said Tim Noel, CEO of UnitedHealthcare.

• Prior authorizations are required for only 2% of UnitedHealthcare medical services, the company said.

• The company added that of the authorizations that are submitted, around 92% are approved and in less than 24 hours, on average.

• Last month, U.S. health insurers advanced measures to standardize prior authorization requirements. More than 70% of UnitedHealthcare’s prior authorizations will be part of the new standardized submission process by the year’s end.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)