(Reuters) – Health insurer Cigna Group said on Thursday it would scrap the use of prior authorization or paperwork required to get approval for insurance coverage for 25% of medical services.
Health insurers have come under pressure as doctors claim that prior authorization requirements for some procedures are restrictive and increase administrative burden.
“Both physicians and healthcare organizations agree that more can be done to reduce the administrative burden on physicians,” said Scott Josephs, Chief Medical Officer of Cigna Healthcare.
The pre-authorization or pre-certification process requires healthcare providers to obtain coverage approval for certain non-emergency procedures.
UnitedHealth Group said earlier this year it plans to reduce the use of prior authorization requirements by 20% for some non-emergency surgeries and procedures.
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Shinjini Ganguli)
