On Wednesday, the legislators of SLEW or Bipartides reintroduced a bill that would review the prior authorization process for the elderly registered in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and crossed some of the health suppliers at home.
The improvement of the appropriate access law to the care of the elderly would amend part of the Social Security Law and establish requirements for previous MA authorizations, with the aim of increasing transparency and requirements and the electronic prior authorization system.
“As a doctor, I have seen firsthand how the delays in the broken prioritization process needed attention and frustrates both the last year students and their doctors,” representative Ami Bera (D-California) said in a statement, one of the legislators who support the bill. “He Improvement of the appropriate access law to the care of the elderly Cut the bureaucracy and facilitate the elderly with Medicare Advantage access to the treatments and services they need, when they need them. This bipartisan legislation is a solution of common sessions that puts patients in paperwork, restores confidence in the system and helps doctors to focus on providing quality care. “
The bill has been introduced several times before, even in 2022 and 2024. Specifically, the Bill Woldequire prior requronic authorization system requires a brunetnce around the prior authorization of ma of the healing and requirements, the Servial Authority (HHS) to establish the deadlines for the determination and mandate that HHS and other agencies inform about the electronic system.
The bill would relieve part of the burden of prior authorization processes “unnecessarily complicated”, according to representative Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire)
“This bipartisan legislation is a common way of supporting older people in Medicare’s advantage to access care and help medical care providers to focus on their patients instead of paperwork,” Hassan said in a statement.
The best Medicare Alliance, a research and defense organization with members, including the beneficiaries of the MA, the caregivers and health plans, praised the bill.
“Prior authorization helps keep medical care costs and guarantees that older people get the most appropriate attention,” said Mary Beth Donahue, president and executive director of Better Medicare Alliance, in a statement. “But the process should be easier. The changes presented in this legislation are very late and will help ensure that older people can get the attention they need without delay.”
