UnitedHealthcare is set to eliminate about two-thirds of prior authorization requirements for children it covers by the end of the year.
The insurer said on Friday that it will remove prior authorization for a wide range of services for members under 18, including certain diagnostic tests, routine surgeries, and specialty care spanning cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, and orthopedics.
UnitedHealthcare also said it will introduce “authorization waivers” for select procedures performed at leading pediatric hospitals, citing those institutions’ “consistent use of well-established care practices.”
The company did not identify which hospitals will qualify for the waivers, but said the program will include a broad network of “nationally recognized pediatric centers spanning medical and surgical specialties.”…