Prior authorization continues to delay patient care and treatment, impact outcomes, and drive up health care costs for all Hoosiers. Physician offices advocate for their patients but are forced to waste valuable time and resources on these burdens.

Your stories about how prior authorization impacts patients are a powerful way to help ISMA put Patients Over Prior Auth.

Please participate in ISMA’s newest advocacy initiative by sending us the latest example(s) of payors inappropriately putting prior auth over patients. Send them to us every day if you like! The more examples we have, the more impactful it will be -- even if they are repetitive.

Several stories have already been submitted to ISMA within the first 24 hours of the short intake form going live on Jan. 31.

Cassandra Curtis, MD, submitted: “All day, every day, my MA deals with prior authorization for the newer migraine medicines that are branded. Some insurances require re-authorization every three months even though the patient has been on the medications for years. As if this isn't enough, when she submits my note to justify why the patient needs this newer and more expensive medication, my note documents that the patient has failed A, B, C, D drugs. The first PA is often denied, and the form letter states that the patient has to fail drugs A, B, C, D. So then my MA has to resubmit my note -- this time with the justifying statement circled and highlighted. This often delays patients getting their medications on time and costs my office precious time that could be spent on patient care. All day -- every day.”

Please consider forwarding this article/survey to your colleagues, and thank you for continuing to advocate for the well-being of all Hoosiers. Your participation in this Patients Over Prior Auth initiative will help bring about vital change.