{"id":2451375,"date":"2025-06-24T14:38:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-convinces-health-insurance-giants-to-pledge-to-take-6-key-steps-to-improve-patient-care\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T14:41:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:41:50","slug":"trump-admin-convinces-health-insurance-giants-to-pledge-to-take-6-key-steps-to-improve-patient-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-admin-convinces-health-insurance-giants-to-pledge-to-take-6-key-steps-to-improve-patient-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Admin Convinces Health Insurance Giants to Pledge to Take 6 Key Steps to Improve Patient Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-admin-convinces-health-insurance-giants-to-pledge-to-take-6-key-steps-to-improve-patient-care%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2451375&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare &#038; Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced significant reforms in the prior authorization process for health insurance treatments. Prior authorization requires healthcare providers to obtain approval from insurance companies before proceeding with recommended treatments or surgeries, a process that has faced criticism for causing delays and denials of necessary care.<\/p>\n<p>The reforms will impact nearly 80% of Americans with coverage through Medicare Advantage, Medicaid Managed Care, Health Insurance Marketplace, and commercial plans. Key players in the insurance industry, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealthcare, participated in the discussions leading to these changes. The agreement aims to standardize electronic submissions, speed up response times, reduce the number of services requiring prior authorization, and ensure that treatment denials are reviewed by a medical professional.<\/p>\n<p>Both Kennedy and Oz emphasized the importance of these voluntary commitments from insurers, stating they will help reduce bureaucratic hurdles and restore trust in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hungary-takes-lead-as-europe-prepares-to-begin-covid-19-vaccinations\/\" title=\"Hungary takes lead as Europe prepares to begin COVID-19 vaccinations\">healthcare system<\/a>.They noted that physicians frequently enough spend up to 12 hours a week dealing with prior authorization issues, which can substantially delay patient care. The changes are seen as a step forward in making healthcare more accessible and efficient for patients and providers alike.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced Monday that major health insurance companies have agreed to reform the process in which <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >insurers approve treatments doctors recommend<\/a> for patients.<\/p>\n<p>Under what is known as prior authorization, doctors or hospitals must get the blessing of an insurance company to move forward on treatments or surgeries, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/money\/2025\/06\/23\/health-insurance-companies-vow-changes-to-prior-authorization\/84318093007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USA Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Doctors have complained that the process delays or denies necessary treatments, while insurance companies say it stops tests or care that wastes money.<\/p>\n<p>An overhaul will take place for Americans covered by Medicare Advantage, Medicaid Managed Care, Health Insurance Marketplace&reg;, and commercial plans covering almost eight out of 10 Americans, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/press-room\/kennedy-oz-cms-secure-healthcare-industry-pledge-to-fix-prior-authorization-system.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a> posted by the Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n<p>Aetna, Inc., AHIP, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Centene Corporation, The Cigna Group, Elevance Health, GuideWell, Highmark Health, Humana, Inc., Kaiser Permanente, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bondis-doj-launches-fraud-investigation-unitedhealth-insurer-whose-ceo-assassinated\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UnitedHealthcare<\/a> were represented at a round table that resulted in the agreement to streamline the prior authorization process.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Thank you to the insurance companies for making these commitments today. Americans shouldn&rsquo;t have to negotiate with their insurer to get the care they need,&rdquo; Kennedy said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Pitting patients and their doctors against massive companies was not good for anyone. We are actively working with industry to make it easier to get prior authorization for common services such as diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, and outpatient surgery,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Oz said the agreement from the insurers is &ldquo;a step in the right direction toward restoring trust, easing burdens on providers, and helping patients receive timely, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-hhs-departments-endorse-top-surgery-and-hormone-treatments-for-transgender-children-claim-no-scientifically-sound-research-showing-negative-impacts\/\" title=\"Biden HHS Departments Endorse \u2018Top Surgery\u2019 And Hormone Treatments For Transgender Children, Claim \u2018No Scientifically Sound Research Showing Negative Impacts\u2019\">evidence-based care<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We applaud these voluntary actions by the private sector, which is how these types of issues should be solved. CMS will be evaluating progress and driving accountability toward our d goals, as we continue to champion solutions that put patients first,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>The release said insurers have agreed to standardize electronic prior authorization submissions using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources-based application programming interfaces; reduce which services are subject to prior authorization by Jan. 1, 2026, reduce the response times to requests for prior authorization by 2027, honor existing authorizations during insurance transitions, increase transparency in the priori authorization process, and have all denials reviwed by a medical professional.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/gop-sen-josh-hawley-raises-red-flags-trump-nominee-dr-ozs-troubling-views-key-issues\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oz<\/a> said the insurers are making changes voluntarily.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The pledge is not a mandate. It&rsquo;s not a bill, a rule. This is not legislated. This is an opportunity for industry to show itself,&rdquo; Oz said Monday, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-admin-secures-pledge-from-75-health-insurers-bid-improve-patient-care\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But by the fact that three-quarters of the patients in the country are already covered by participants in this pledge, it&rsquo;s a good start, and the response has been overwhelming,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Oz said doctors are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-smiling-nyt-wapo-vet-says-felt-joy-insurance-ceo-assassinated\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">irked<\/a> that, on average, they spend about 12 hours a week dealing with the cumbersome prior authorization process.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It frustrates doctors. It sometimes results in care that is significantly delayed. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-says-masks-should-absolutely-not-be-mandated-for-school-children\/\" title=\"DeSantis Says Masks Should \u2018Absolutely Not\u2019 Be Mandated For School Children\">erodes public trust<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/l-a-county-health-officials-urge-residents-to-wear-masks-at-home-to-protect-vulnerable-one-america-news-network\/\" title=\"L.A. County ... officials urge residents to wear masks at home to protect vulnerable | One America News Network\">health care system<\/a>. It&rsquo;s something we can&rsquo;t tolerate,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<div>In the HHS release, Republican Rep. &nbsp;Greg Murphy of North Carolina, who is a doctor, said the change is a step forward.<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;As a physician for over 30 years, I witnessed the ridiculous and ever-increasing obstructions caused by insurance companies to delay or deny care to patients. These bureaucratic hurdles end up hurting patients and those who care for them,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Practices have had to hire many more staff just simply to fight with insurance companies. I have made reform a top priority of mine since coming to Congress. I am grateful for the collaborative effort by stakeholders to make commitments to streamline approvals and look forward to them delivering on this pledge,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced on Monday that leading health insurance companies have committed to reforming the prior authorization process, which requires doctors or hospitals to obtain approval from insurers before proceeding with recommended treatments or surgeries. This system has faced criticism from doctors for causing delays or denials of essential care, while insurers argue it helps prevent unnecessary expenses. The changes will affect Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid Managed Care, Health Insurance Marketplace\u00ae, and various commercial plans covering nearly 80% of the population. Major insurers like Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealthcare participated in discussions that led to this agreement aimed at streamlining prior authorization procedures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2451376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/RFK-Jr.-vs-Dr.-Oz.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[35076,43804,37868,44957],"class_list":["post-2451375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-health-insurance","tag-patient-care","tag-policy-changes","tag-trump-admin"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/RFK-Jr.-vs-Dr.-Oz.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2451375"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2451379,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451375\/revisions\/2451379"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2451376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2451375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2451375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2451375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}