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AGA Campaign to #StopUHC

AGA campaign to block UHC's GI prior auth policy

AGA continues to demand that UnitedHealthcare (UHC)  provide details, transparency and policies that put patients first.

AGA priority: Protecting GI patients and practices from prior auth policies that don’t put patients first.

Here's how we're fighting for GI

AGA will not let UHC quietly role out a prior authorization program that will impact millions of patients nationwide.

UHC media mentions of AGA + prior authorization

Latest news

Picture of Dr. Maria Abreu

Dr. Maria Abreu

Background

After weeks of protest from AGA and the GI community, UnitedHealthcare shelved the prior authorization policy for GI endoscopy planned to go into effect June 1, 2023, but replaced it with a nebulous Advance Notification Program

This program requires you to provide even more data on top of the current burdensome paperwork requirements. It is a temporary patch – patients will not be denied care immediately, but this program laid the groundwork for a sweeping prior authorization program.

On Aug. 1, 2024, UHC quietly announced to media a new “Gold Card” prior authorization program, set to launch Oct. 1, 2024. At this time, AGA does not expect the UHC Gold Card program will have major effects for GI practices. However, UHC provided scant details with their program announcement and has not provided useful information in response to AGA inquiries. If you receive information from UHC representatives, please let us know. We’re ready to advocate for GIs and our patients.

Bottom line: Patients should have timely access to the care their health care providers deem medically necessary.

For more information

Contact the AGA Government Affairs team: [email protected]. Media: contact Rebecca Reid at [email protected] or 410-212-3843.

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