American Society for Radiation Oncology responds to insurers’ commitment to repair prior authorization

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz reported a commitment from industry leaders to repair the prior authorization process on June 23.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) published a response to this pledge. They said, “pledges alone won’t fix a broken system that delays cancer treatment and harms patients.” They stress the need for action in their statement.

ASTRO President Dr. Sameer Keole, MD, FASTRO said: “Having HHS, CMS and industry collaborate to streamline prior authorization is a much-needed, long-overdue step to improve patients’ access to treatment. But making these reforms voluntary introduces room for widespread non-compliance. We should not abandon meaningful legislation to permanently fix prior authorization and bring relief to our patients.”