Payer pre-authorization requirements continue to rise, suggests a new Medical Group Management Association Stat poll.
The May 16 poll included applicable responses from 1,041 medical groups. Most respondents (86 percent) said payer pre-authorization requirements increased in the past year, while only 3 percent said they decreased. Eleven percent of respondents said payer pre-authorization requirements stayed the same.
Medical groups attributed the increase in payer pre-authorization requirements to more procedures requiring authorization than in previous years, along with the number of medication prescriptions also requiring authorization, MGMA said in a news release. MGMA said some respondents also cited the use of third-party companies for authorizations, which they contend adds time to the process.
Results from the latest MGMA Stat poll from May are similar to a March poll. In the March poll, 82 percent of respondents said pre-authorization requirements from health plans increased, while 9 percent said they did not see an increase at that time, according to MGMA.
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