May 5 - UnitedHealthcare said on Tuesday that it will remove prior approval rules for 30% of healthcare services, a step the insurer described as reducing paperwork and delays experienced by patients and clinicians.
The companys insurance unit also said it will eliminate an additional 30% of remaining prior authorizations on a defined set of care types by the end of this year. Those targeted categories include select outpatient surgeries, certain diagnostic tests such as echocardiograms, and specified outpatient therapies and chiropractic care.
Tim Noel, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare, was quoted by the company saying: "Eliminating these requirements is one more way we are working to make it easier for patients to get the care they need when they need it and ensure doctors can spend more time with their patients."
UnitedHealthcare reported that prior authorizations are currently required for only 2% of its medical services. Of the authorizations that are submitted, the company said roughly 92% are approved, and approvals are provided in less than 24 hours on average.
Separately, the insurer noted that industry steps taken last month to standardize prior authorization processes will be incorporated into its workflow. UnitedHealthcare indicated that more than 70% of its prior authorizations will be processed through the new standardized submission channel by the end of the year.
The announced changes are framed as an operational simplification intended to reduce administrative friction for both patients and providers. The company tied the reductions explicitly to specific outpatient procedures, diagnostic categories, and therapies, and set clear timing goals for implementation by year-end.
Contextual notes: The company provided the percentages and timelines above as part of its disclosure on prior authorization practices; no additional implementation details were supplied beyond those figures.