(Reuters) – Health insurer Cigna Group said on Thursday it would remove the use of prior authorization or paperwork required to get approval for insurance coverage for 25% of medical services.
Health insurers have come under pressure as physicians claim that the pre-authorization requirements for some procedures are restrictive and increases their paperwork.
“Clinicians and health plans alike agree that more can be done to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians,” said Scott Josephs, chief medical officer of Cigna Healthcare.
The prior authorization, or pre-certification process, requires healthcare providers to get coverage approval for certain non-emergency procedures.
UnitedHealth Group said earlier this year that it plans to reduce use of prior authorization requirements by 20% for some non-urgent surgeries and procedures.
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Shinjini Ganguli)
