UnitedHealth to remove annoying barrier for slew of medical procedures
UnitedHealth Group announced it will eliminate prior authorization requirements for numerous medical procedures, including echocardiograms and certain outpatient surgeries, using AI to streamline the process. The move aims to improve patient access to care and reduce administrative burdens on doctors, following industry-wide criticism of insurance approval processes. The change, set to reduce authorizations by nearly a third, is part of broader efforts by major insurers to reform practices after public backlash linked to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO.
- ▪UnitedHealth will stop requiring prior authorizations for procedures like echocardiograms, chiropractic care, and some outpatient surgeries using AI tools.
- ▪The decision follows intense scrutiny of the healthcare system after the 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione, who criticized the industry.
- ▪Insurers including Aetna and Cigna have also pledged to reduce authorization requirements, with UnitedHealth aiming to cut its by nearly a third in 2026.
- ▪UnitedHealthcare claims 92% of prior authorizations are already approved within 24 hours, and the process applies to only 2% of its services.
- ▪The company plans to standardize authorization rules across Medicare, Medicaid, and employer plans and expand its 'gold card' program for trusted providers.
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Business UnitedHealth to remove annoying barrier for slew of medical procedures By Taylor Herzlich Published May 5, 2026, 1:38 p.m. ET UnitedHealth Group said Tuesday it is planning to stop requiring doctors to get approvals for a slew of tests, surgeries and other procedures, an effort to ease patient access to care. The company, which runs the largest insurer in the US, will use AI to cease requiring approvals for echocardiograms, chiropractic care, certain outpatient surgeries and some outpatient therapy, according to a press release. The authorization process has long been despised by both doctors and patients, who blame the lengthy paperwork process for slowing down — and at times preventing — necessary treatment.
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