Every American deserves access to affordable, high-quality care and health coverage. Prior authorization is one of the many tools health insurance providers use to promote safe, timely, evidence-based, affordable, and efficient care. However, the prior authorization process can be burdensome to providers, patients, and health insurance providers alike, especially when working on an outdated, paper-based system.
In 2020, AHIP launched its Fast Prior Authorization Technology Highway (Fast PATH) initiative with the goal of better understanding the impact of electronic prior authorization (ePA) on the prior authorization process. Recently, the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) published an article highlighting Fast PATH’s results: fewer phone calls and faxes, a better understanding of prior authorization processes, faster time to decisions, and faster time to patient care.
With a global circulation of over 10,000, the mission of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association is to connect science and practice by publishing high-quality empirical studies, reviews on important health care topics, and thoughtful opinion pieces with the ultimate goal of optimizing medication use to improve patient and population health outcomes.
“We are honored to see the results of our Fast PATH initiative appear in JAPhA,” said Kate Berry, AHIP Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs and Strategic Partnerships. “Fast PATH is another example of how health insurance providers are delivering on the 2018 Consensus Statement to improve prior authorization processes. We remain committed to finding and implementing innovative solutions to streamline processes, improve the quality of care, reduce costs, and enhance patients’ overall care experience.”
In 2018, stakeholders representing providers, pharmacists, and health insurance providers developed a Consensus Statement recommending opportunities to improve the prior authorization process. Increasing the adoption of ePA was one of the major opportunities identified.
Click here to view the JAPhA article (please note that viewing the article may require site registration).
Click here to view how health insurance providers are delivering on their commitment to make prior authorization more effective.
Click here for more AHIP prior authorization resources.