Statement on Introduction of the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act

By Soumi Saha, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Premier Inc.

Modernizing prior authorization for Medicare Advantage patients is vital to reducing the delayed care, harm and costs, which are the legacy of an antiquated process still reliant on faxes and phone calls in time-sensitive clinical situations. Premier applauds Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) and John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA) for their efforts to make electronic prior authorization a long-overdue reality. This legislation would benefit millions of America’s seniors, reduce clinician burden, improve evidence-based healthcare and reduce costs.

A recent Premier survey of hospitals highlights the urgent need for action: delays and denials by Medicare Advantage plans are increasingly jeopardizing timely patient care and cost providers $25.7 billion annually to process claims — a staggering 23 percent increase over the previous year. Updating prior authorization processes and increasing transparency are critical to breaking down barriers to high-quality care when patients need it most.

Premier urges Congress to expeditiously enact the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act to bring much-needed reform and common-sense modernization to this broken system.