Expensive and Harmful: The Problem of Prior Authorizations
Take a guess: What is the average number of prior authorizations the U.S. physician does each week?
![Expensive and Harmful: The Problem of Prior Authorizations](/content/images/size/w1200/2023/05/COTW_202304_chart4_v2-1.png)
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- On average, practices complete 45 prior authorizations per doctor per week.
- Nearly 9 of 10 doctors found prior authorization at least sometimes results in higher overall utilization (such as ineffective initial treatments and additional office visits).
- Most doctors (80%) reported that prior authorization processes have resulted in treatment abandonment.
- One-quarter of doctors reported that this led to a patient's hospitalization.
Source
American Medical Association. 2022 AMA Prior Authorization (PA) Physician Survey. Accessed May 9, 2023.