Doctors Skeptical of Insurers’ Pledges to Rein in Prior Authorization
by Joyce Frieden, Washington Editor, MedPage Today
May 14, 2026
Physicians remain skeptical that health insurers’ pledges to ease prior authorization hassles will result in any meaningful action, an American Medical Association (AMA) survey found.
In June 2025, a group of about 60 insurers said that they would standardize electronic prior authorization by the end of 2026 to help speed up the process. They also said they would reduce the scope of claims subject to medical prior authorization, and would honor the pre-approvals of a previous insurer for a window of time after someone switches plans.
The insurers also said they planned to expand the number of real-time responses, and that they would ensure that claims denied for clinical reasons will continue to get reviews by “medical professionals.” But they made no promises that those reviewers will be in the same specialty as the treating doctor, a common complaint from physicians.
“Ahead of the first major [2026] deadline, the AMA surveyed 1,000 practicing physicians to assess whether these commitments are likely to deliver meaningful improvements for patients and physicians,” the AMA explained Wednesday in a press release. “Findings from the … survey show that only one in three physicians (33%) believe the latest insurer pledge will make a meaningful difference.”
The survey consisted of 44 questions administered online in December 2025. Of the respondents, 40% were primary care physicians and 60% were specialists; all participants provide 20 hours or more of patient care each week.
Other findings from the survey included:
- A strong majority of physicians reported that the number of prior authorizations required for prescription medications and medical services has increased over the last 5 years (84% say that’s true for prescriptions, and 82% for medical services)
- A majority of physicians said that it is difficult to determine whether a prescription medication or medical service requires prior authorization (63% for prescriptions and 62% for medical services)
- More than one in four physicians (27%) reported that the drug prior authorization requirement information provided in their electronic health record or e-prescribing system is rarely or never accurate
- Nearly 90% of physicians said that prior authorization interferes with continuity of care
- More than one in four physicians (26%) reported that prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event, including hospitalization, permanent impairment, or death
- Physicians complete an average of 40 prior authorizations per week, and 32% reported that requests are often or always denied
- Prior authorization consumes an average of 13 hours of physician and staff time each week, and 40% employ staff dedicated exclusively for prior authorization tasks
Physicians also reported consistently high administrative burden with prior authorization across all major health insurers, the AMA noted. UnitedHealthcare (75%) tops the ranks for “high” or “extremely high” burden, followed by Humana (65%), Anthem/Elevance (61%), Aetna (61%), Cigna (59%), and Blue Cross Blue Shield (56%).
Several other prior authorization-related events have occurred since…
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