MGMA Statement on Health Plans' Commitment to Simplify Prior Authorization (June 23, 2025)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 23, 2025

Media Contact:
Samantha Tirado
Director of Policy Communications 
stirado@mgma.org 
 

MGMA Statement on Health Plans' Commitment to Simplify Prior Authorization

Anders Gilberg
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Medical Group Management Association

"While we are encouraged by today's announcement from health plans on prior authorization, much of what insurers intend to do has already been mandated by CMS for their Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans along with similar adoption dates. It makes sense for them to implement changes across commercial products as well. MGMA joined a consensus statement with provider groups and health plans in 2018 that had similar agreed-upon principles for improving prior authorization, yet year-after-year we continue to hear from physician practices that it is their number one administrative burden. Seven years after the consensus statement and several CMS final rules later, health insurers appear to finally be taking steps toward implementation. We look forward to receiving more details about the initiative and working towards reducing the overall volume and burden of prior authorization requirements."

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About MGMA

Founded in 1926, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the nation's largest association focused on the business of medical practice management. MGMA consists of 15,000 group medical practices ranging from small private medical practices to large national health systems representing more than 350,000 physicians. MGMA helps nearly 60,000 medical practice leaders and the healthcare community solve the business challenges of running practices so that they can focus on providing outstanding patient care. Specifically, MGMA helps its members innovate and improve profitability and financial sustainability, and it provides the gold standard on industry benchmarks such as physician compensation. The association also advocates extensively on its members' behalf on national regulatory and policy issues.