Alabamians experiencing delays in medical care due to insurance companies’ prior authorization processes now have access to a new online platform where they can share their experiences and advocate for change.
A new website was launched by doctors with the Medical Association of the State of Alabama to promote faster insurance approvals for medical care. Doctors are concerned that delays associated with prior authorization could have harmful or even fatal consequences, the group says.
“With prior authorizations, we definitely see a delay in patient care,” said Dr. Tonya Bradley, a physician in Auburn. “I see delays in patients getting chemo, I see delays in patients getting tests they need to diagnose problems that can be very urgent.”
Dr. George Koulianos of Mobile noted that the process to receive care can be extensive.
“The bureaucracy. The paperwork. The institutional inertia. The list goes on and on, and it makes it very difficult for us to do what really matters, which is to take great care of our patients.”
Birmingham’s Dr. Hernando Carter echoed his colleagues’ concerns.
“If you can spend the time to explain to your patient why you’re recommending a test or a treatment and be able to answer all the questions they have and assuage any concerns or apprehensions, then that directly affects how well they do,” said Dr. Hernando Carter of Birmingham. “It directly affects whether they get better or not.”
“So, we abhor anything that interferes with or cuts into that time we have to spend with our patients.”
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A survey of Alabama doctors found that 76 percent reported that the time they spend on prior authorizations results in seeing fewer patients each day. One-third of doctors said they and their staff spend nearly an entire workday each week filling out prior authorization paperwork, following up with phone calls, and contesting denials.
A separate survey of 500 Alabamians showed that 80 percent agree with the statement that “doctors in Alabama are working to spend more time with patients so that patients and doctors have the time together to make the best health care decisions.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
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