Press Releases

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Mark Warner (VA), co-leads of the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, released the below joint statement following a series of commitments from some of the largest private health insurance companies to ease the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process.

“We applaud these commitments, which aim to improve health care access for millions of Americans by easing the Medicare Advantage prior authorization process,” the lawmakers said. “We encourage our House and Senate colleagues to carry this momentum forward and to pass our life-changing legislation, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, to ensure this progress becomes law.”

Under the announcement, participating health plans commit to:

1. Standardize electronic prior authorization submissions using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)-based application programming interfaces.
2. Reduce the volume of medical services subject to prior authorization by January 1, 2026.
3. Honor existing authorizations during insurance transitions to ensure continuity of care.
4. Enhance transparency and communication around authorization decisions and appeals.
5. Expand real-time responses to minimize delays in care with real-time approvals for most requests by 2027.
6. Ensure medical professionals review all clinical denials.