denied claims

The announcement on prior authorization comes months after the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, which sparked widespread criticism about insurance denials.

Millions of prior authorization denials are made annually, leaving many patients stuck in a convoluted appeals process. For doctors, these decisions are frustrating. For patients, they can be devastating.

Doctors, patients and hospitals have railed for years about processes that insurers use to decide whether they’ll pay for drugs or procedures. The Biden administration announced a crackdown in January, but some state lawmakers are looking to go further.

State lawmakers pushed through six claims bill on Monday. The 2015 session could be one of the few times the state pays claimants in two years.