UnitedHealthcare to Cut Prior Authorizations by a Third

UnitedHealthcare announced it will no longer require prior authorizations for certain outpatient surgeries, echocardiograms, and some chiropractic care, reducing the total number of required approvals by roughly a third.

Prior authorization is the process insurers use to require policyholders to get permission before a procedure will be covered. It's long been a pain point for both patients and doctors, who say the approval process can delay care and add layers of paperwork to an already complicated system.

UnitedHealthcare's move is part of a broader industry shift. Industry groups say insurers have cut prior authorization requirements by 11% over the past year, signaling growing pressure to make coverage more straightforward.

But groups representing doctors and hospitals say they haven't seen much of a difference on their end, raising questions about how meaningful the changes are in practice.