Doctors would have greater leeway in prescribing medications to patients - and insurance companies would have less time to approve prior-authorization requests under a bill proposed by a lawmaker from Sarasota.
Republican Senator Greg Steube said he's advocating on behalf of doctors who are struggling to properly treat their patients.
"I was approached by a number of physicians in my district that told me about the challenges that they have in providing good health care to their patients because of the obstacles that the insurance companies put in their way and all the things that they have to go through to be able to get authorization to treat their patients,” Steube said.
The bill would amend current law to require health insurers, HMOs, Medicaid managed-care plans and pharmacy benefit managers to approve or deny prior-authorization requests in urgent circumstances within 24 hours of receiving the requests.
In non-urgent situations, companies would have three days.
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