When Hoosiers are making important decisions about their medical needs, one of the most important influences should be a licensed medical practitioner — not an employee within a health insurance company.
Unfortunately, in recent years, too many decisions about a patient’s health care needs have been made by their insurance company through a process known as prior authorization, which health insurance companies use to determine if their plan will cover medical procedures or medication.
This year, I was proud to co-author Senate Enrolled Act 480, which requires medical decisions be made by a licensed medical practitioner.
This legislation also:
- Prevents prior authorization from being used as an excuse to deny reasonable insurance claims;
- Speeds up timelines for prior authorization determination and appeals; and
- Requires health plans to be more transparent about their prior authorization procedures.
SEA 480 received widespread bipartisan support in the Indiana General Assembly this year and was ceremonially signed into law by the governor on June 18.
