Now that Capitol Hill has fully reopened, we have resumed in-person meetings with legislators to advocate for our policy priorities, such as prior authorization reform.
On Tuesday, we met with one of our longtime congressional champions, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, who is a ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and serves on the Senate Finance Committee.
With UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) recent decision to delay its prior authorization program for GI endoscopy at the last minute and implement a nebulous Advance Notification Program in its place, it has become even more critical to call upon our partners in Congress and act to protect patients’ access to care.
Dr. Kosinski shared AGA and the GI community’s unanswered request that UHC share data that demonstrates the need for its prior authorization program. Despite implementing the Advance Notification Program more than a week ago, UHC still has not provided basic information to physicians about what data is required and how it will be used.
As the only gastroenterologist serving in Congress, Sen. Cassidy is familiar with the administrative burden that prior authorization – and similar data gathering requirements – place on providers and how such policies can adversely impact patient care and outcomes.
We look forward to working with Sen. Cassidy to protect patients’ access to care and removing barriers like prior authorization and we’re grateful to him for his leadership on this issue.
