Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced a coalition of 29 major health care players at Axios' Future of Health Summit on Wednesday. The group aims to simplify the prior authorization process for medical treatments across all health insurance markets.
"The payers, the insurance companies, have been playing ball. Guess who's not been playing ball until today? The providers," Oz told Axios. The new initiative includes insurers, hospitals, and health records companies working together to streamline the review process for medical procedures.
Earlier this month, Oz wrote in a blog post that it's "way past time to axe the fax, kill the clipboard, and put patients over paperwork" via electronic prior authorization. Last summer, several top health insurers voluntarily pledged to improve the process.
Earlier this year, Medicare began AI-powered pre-treatment reviews for certain health services in a handful of states, aiming to root out unnecessary care. The move has unnerved doctors, who fear increased bureaucratic hurdles.
The coalition's success hinges on whether providers, who Oz says have been resistant, fully commit to the streamlined system. Critics may argue that voluntary pledges lack teeth without regulatory enforcement.