UnitedHealthcare to nix prior auth on 1,700 services on Oct. 1
UnitedHealthcare said earlier this year that it was aiming to eliminate 30% of prior authorization requirements by the end of 2026.
UnitedHealthcare plans to discontinue prior authorization for 1,700 services starting October 1st, as part of their commitment to reduce administrative burdens and streamline patient care. This adjustment applies to various plans, including commercial, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and individual market coverage across 17 states and the District of Columbia.
The majority of these eliminated codes are found in commercial and individual plans, with Texas, North Carolina, and Rhode Island experiencing the highest number of changes. UHC CEO Tim Noel emphasized that only 2% of services currently require prior authorization, and 92% of submissions are approved. The insurer joined other major players in committing to this reform, as well as the broader industry pledge, which reported an overall 11% reduction in prior authorizations.
However, a recent KFF report revealed that insurers still deny between 12% and 18% of standard prior authorization requests in 2025, with UnitedHealth leading the pack at 17% in the Medicare Advantage segment.
Written by urgent.news from Fierce Healthcare's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
