Five large employers, Amazon, Axon Enterprise, Google, Meta, and Oracle, have signed a federal statement supporting electronic prior authorization for workers covered by self-funded health plans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Department of Labor announced the commitment Oct. 21.
Prior authorization is the approval many plans require before covering certain tests, procedures, or drugs. The paperwork often moves by fax and phone, and waiting on it can delay care. The employers are urging the companies that run their health plans to offer the faster electronic systems insurers have already promised for other types of coverage.
