The Health 202: Texas is cutting red tape for doctors and patients

Washington Post, by Alexandra Ellerbeck, July 26, 2021

Doctors and health insurers are butting heads in the Lone Star State over a new kind of effort to roll back red tape for American patients.

Starting Sept. 1, many Texas doctors will no longer have to obtain advance permission known as “prior authorization” from a health insurer before administering a procedure or prescription.

The new law will grant automatic approval for medical orders from doctors who have a strong track record of getting the greenlight from insurance companies. Providers have long complained about the hassle of submitting paperwork to insurance companies to get approval before a procedure or prescription. The process can leave patients waiting for days to learn whether their insurance will cover their medical care.

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