(Feb. 24, 2023) – Kansas is one of only eight states that does not have any guardrails on the prior authorization process. It is costing our state money, not to mention health care professional burnout and keeping Kansas patients from getting the care they need.
We urge Kansas hospitals and providers to reach out to their legislators and the community to encourage support of House Bill 2283 and Senate Bill 148. Now is the time. This week, the House Insurance Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2283, which requires transparency in prior authorization.
You can reach out directly to your policymakers by visiting www.KHAGrassroots.org. There you will find messages that can be individualized on prior authorization, as well as other advocacy topics. KHA also has drafted template opinion editorials that can be customized for use in your local media.
The intent of House Bill 2283 and Senate Bill 148 is to:
- Make the process electronic, so clinical workers aren't standing at fax machines or sitting on the phone instead of providing patient care
- Tighten up the timelines for a response for emergent, urgent and chronic care
- Allow an avenue to go straight to peer-to-peer review
- Require the peer in the peer-to-peer review process to be one of the same specialty areas
- Create a process for those who have already met the 90 percent threshold to bypass the prior authorization process
- Create transparency in telling providers and the public about changes in requirements related to prior authorizations and adding reporting requirements to the Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office.
Prior authorization is not something our hospitals can contract to solve. We need policymakers to help Kansas patients and health care professionals. Hospital and provider engagement on this issue is much appreciated. Thank you.
--Chad Austin