‘Prior Authorization’ Has Become a Dirty Word in Healthcare, But it Might Be Medicare’s Smartest Path Forward

For years, Americans have been caught in a destructive healthcare bind: they need vital medical procedures, but they must first navigate a bureaucratic minefield known as prior authorization. I felt the pain of this reality firsthand during my 19 years as an interventional radiologist at Mayo Clinic. Every Monday, I arrived at work confronted by a stack of manila folders filled with denied prior authorizations. My requests for the care my patients needed were routinely blocked, forcing my nurse — one of the very best I’ve ever worked with — to spend half her time on paperwork rather than hands-on patient care.

Read the entire article by Jeremy Friese, MD, here: ‘Prior Authorization’ Has Become a Dirty Word in Healthcare, But it Might Be Medicare’s Smartest Path Forward