Mehmet C. Oz, MD, MBAAdministrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244
Dear Administrator Oz:
On behalf of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), a coalition of national physician organizations and our allies seeking to reduce regulatory burdens that interfere with patient care, we write to thank you for your continued leadership at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in advancing reforms to bring greater accountability and transparency to the Medicare Advantage (MA) prior authorization process. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how we can build on this progress together to ensure that the nearly 35 million seniors enrolled in MA receive timely, high-quality care.
As you know, prior authorization use has historically been far higher in MA than in traditional Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicare.1 In 2023 alone, MA insurers made nearly 50 million prior authorization determinations, compared to fewer than 400,000 in FFS Medicare. The overuse and misuse of prior authorization by some MA plans continue to threaten patient access to medically necessary care and significantly increase provider administrative burden.
Click here to view the full letter Regulatory Relief Coalition Thanks CMS and Urges Further Action on Prior Authorization
