Prior authorization reforms are not being implemented as planned, according to survey results released by the American Medical Association.
In December 2021, the AMA conducted a survey of more than 1,000 practicing physicians about each of the five prior authorization reforms outlined in a 2018 AMA consensus statement.
According to the results of the survey, less than 1 out of 10 physicians (9%) contract with health plans that offer programs that selectively apply prior authorization requirements. The vast majority of responding physicians (84%) indicate that both the number of drugs and medical services requiring prior authorization has increased since the release of the consensus statement. More than 6 in 10 participants report that it is difficult to determine whether a drug (65%) or medical services (62%) requires prior authorization. Nearly 9 in 10 physicians report that prior authorization interferes with continuity of care, while only one-quarter say that their electronic health record system offers electronic prior authorization for prescription medications.
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