Preauthorization impacts care: Survey

Policies that require physicians to ask permission from a patient's insurance company before performing a treatment negatively impact patient care, according to results of a survey by the American Medical Association.

The results showed 78% of physicians saying insurers use preauthorization requirements for an unreasonable list of tests, procedures and drugs.

More than one-third (37%) of physicians experience a 1 in 5 rejection rate from insurers on first-time preauthorization requests for tests and procedures, and 57% of physicians experience a 1 in 5 percent rejection rate from insurers on first-time preauthorization requests for drugs.