Analysis: Medicare Advantage prior authorization requests increase by 9 million in 3 years

More than 46 million prior authorization requests were submitted to Medicare Advantage insurers in 2022, according to KFF analysis released Aug. 6 examining data submitted by MA insurers to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on prior authorization requests, denials and appeals from 2019 through 2022. The 46 million requests in 2022 increased from 37 million in 2019. MA insurers fully or partially denied 3.4 million (7.4%) prior authorization requests in 2022, which is a larger share of denied prior authorization requests by MA plans compared to prior years. Only one in 10 (9.9%) denials from that year were appealed, however, a majority of those appeals (83.2%) resulted in overturned denials.