UnitedHealthcare to remove prior insurance approval requirements for nearly two-thirds of pediatric services
May 29 (Reuters) – UnitedHealth’s insurance unit said on Friday it will eliminate pre-approval requirements for about two-thirds of health care services for members under 18 as insurers aim to reduce delays and paperwork amid complaints from patients and doctors.
U.S. health insurers are working to meet commitments they made last year to reduce excessive paperwork that can delay or even deny needed care.
• UnitedHealthcare said it would eliminate prior approval for many diagnostic services, routine surgical procedures and specialty care services in pediatric subspecialties such as cardiology, neurology, pulmonology and orthopedics.
• The insurer said it will also introduce authorization waivers for certain procedures performed at leading comprehensive pediatric hospitals.
• “Parents should be able to spend less time navigating the healthcare system and more time focusing on their children while getting the care they need,” said UnitedHealthcare CEO Tim Noel.
• The insurer added that it conducts a rigorous, data-driven review of all pediatric prior authorization requirements to determine which services can be safely eliminated.
• Last month, UnitedHealth and CVS Health said they had standardized data and submission requirements for more than half of their previous authorizations.
• More than 70% of UnitedHealthcare’s preauthorizations will be part of the new standard application process by the end of the year, the insurer said.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)
