Prior Authorization's Next Era: CMS Reform, AI, and Faster Approvals

This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.Delivered weekly from David Lim, Semafor Healthcare connects the dots between decisions in government, business, and technology to reveal how they impact the future of healthcare. Each edition will provide the analysis you need to understand and stay ahead of a rapidly changing landscape. Subscribe for free.Health Affairs Publishing's Jeff Byers welcomes Senior Editor Kathleen Haddad back to the pod to discuss the evolving prior authorization landscape, including CMS efforts to streamline approvals, insurer responses, and emerging questions around AI-driven decision-making.A Health Affairs journal subscription directly connects you to the research shaping the future of health policy and health care. Until 10/14, purchase a two-year digital subscription to Health Affairs journal and receive a third year free with code ONEFREEYEAR.Sign up for Insider to get exclusive access to our trend report focusing on the current prior authorization landscape.Related Links:Medicare’s AI prior authorization pilot was rushed and full of problems, new documents reveal (Stat News)Prior authorization denials vary widely among insurers, first-of-its-kind data shows (Healthcare Dive)UnitedHealthcare cuts prior authorization from 1,700 codes (Healthcare Dive)TREND REPORT: The Current Prior Authorization Landscape (Health Affairs Insider)PR STUNT: UnitedHealth’s Big Prior Authorization Cut (Health Care Un-covered)Sign up for Health Affairs' free newsletter to catch up on our new articles, podcasts, and events. Subscribe to Semafor Healthcare for free.