UnitedHealthcare removing prior approval for most pediatric services |
UnitedHealthcare removing prior approval for most pediatric services
Insurance giant UnitedHealthcare said it will drastically cut down its prior authorization requirements for pediatric care, as the company further scales back a process that physicians say adds an unnecessary barrier to timely and necessary medical care.
UnitedHealthcare said it is removing two-thirds of authorization requirements for members under age 18 by the end of the year.
The company said it will stop requiring physician approval for many diagnostic services, routine surgical procedures and specialty care services across pediatric subspecialties such as cardiology, neurology, pulmonology and orthopedics.
The company will continue to require preapproval for services with higher clinical complexity or variability, including experimental treatments, specialty........