Neurosurgeons Applaud Reintroduction of Legislation to Improve Prior
Authorization for Seniors
Washington, DC— Today, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of
Neurological Surgeons (CNS), leading members of the Regulatory Relief Coalition (RRC), applauded the
bipartisan reintroduction of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (S 1816/ HR 3514). This critical
legislation would streamline and modernize the prior authorization process in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans,
while also adding meaningful program integrity provisions to ensure the MA functions as intended.
Introduced by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), and Mark Warner (D-VA), along with Representatives
Mike Kelly (R-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Ami Bera, MD (D-CA), and John Joyce, MD (R-PA), the bill
garnered a total of 48 Senators and 74 Representatives as original cosponsors upon reintroduction.
“Strengthening oversight of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage ensures the program delivers on its promise
of timely care for America’s seniors,” said Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA, Chair of the AANS/CNS
Washington Committee. “Today, patients with urgent neurologic conditions face delays and denials that risk
permanent disability or worse. We thank the House and Senate champions for their continued bipartisan leadership
to ensure that medical urgency, not administrative process, guides access to care. Congress has the opportunity to
deliver a meaningful victory for seniors by swiftly sending this legislation to the president’s desk. Let’s allow
surgeons to focus on their patients.”
…
Read full article here
