Prior Auth Champions Celebrate over 500 Endorsements of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), and Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08) released the following statement after the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 8702), their legislation that would speed up access to quality care for seniors by streamlining prior authorization under Medicare Advantage, was endorsed by over 500 health care and patient advocacy organizations:

"Seniors across America deserve timely access to the care they need, free from bureaucratic delays and administrative red tape. Our bill directly addresses the key issues in the current insurance claims system under Medicare Advantage. It will help improve health outcomes and reduce delays without costing taxpayers anything.

"We are proud to receive the endorsements of over 500 organizations. This consensus support shows the need for prior authorization reform. We look forward to working with congressional leadership to pass H.R. 8702 and deliver life-saving policies for America's seniors."

To see the list of supporting organizations, click here.

The legislation is also supported by the majority of Congress, with 60 cosponsors in the Senate and 230 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. The bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives in the last Congress.

Bill text is available here. A section-by-section summary can be found here.