Press Release

The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously passed Rep. Ami Bera’s bipartisan legislation to improve care for our nation’s seniors. The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173) would make it easier for seniors to get the care they need and improve health outcomes by streamlining and standardizing the way Medicare Advantage (MA) plans use prior authorization, while increasing oversight and transparency of health insurance for America’s seniors.

"I am proud to see my colleagues in the House pass my bipartisan legislation which will prevent unnecessary delays in care for seniors," said Representative Bera, who previously served as Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County. "As a doctor, it's great to see that physicians can finally spend less time on burdensome paperwork seeking prior authorization and more time taking care of their patients. It is now critical that the Senate act on this commonsense solution to avoid any further delays and help modernize the process to allow for millions of Americans to quickly get the care they need."

The bipartisan legislation is also led by Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN), and Mike Kelly (R-PA). The legislation has over 300 cosponsors in the House and is endorsed by over 500 organizations.

Click here to watch Rep. Bera’s floor speech on the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act.

Many Medicare Advantage plans require providers to obtain prior authorization for certain medical procedures and tests before they can provide care to their patients. Prior authorization can play a role in ensuring people receive appropriate treatments and help control the cost of care. However, when misused, prior authorization can delay needed medical intervention and result in administrative burdens for providers.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act bill would:

• Establish an electronic prior authorization process;
• Require the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to establish a process for “real-time decisions” for items and services that are routinely approved;
• Improve transparency by requiring Medicare Advantage plans to report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the extent of their use of prior authorization and the rate of approvals or denials; and
• Encourage plans to adopt prior authorization programs that adhere to evidence-based medical guidelines in consultation with physicians.

The legislation passed today by voice vote and now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.