Nonpartisan civic infrastructure
AllCiv·Legis1
·

S. 4349

BillFederalSenateIn Committee
To require private health plans to provide for secure electronic transmission of prior authorization requests for prescription drugs.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · May 15, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Congress
118th (2023–2025)
Introduced
May 15, 2024
Cosponsors (4)
3D 1R
View PDF ↗

Summary

Highlight any text to annotate
This bill requires private health insurance plans to use secure electronic systems for prior authorization requests for prescription drugs, starting January 1, 2027. Prior authorization is the process where doctors must get approval from insurance companies before prescribing certain medications. Currently, many insurers accept requests by fax or through proprietary online portals, which can slow down patient access to needed drugs. The legislation affects all group and individual health plans offered by private insurers. The bill does not specify funding amounts, but it directs the Department of Health and Human Services to work with other federal agencies, industry standards organizations, and stakeholders to establish common technical standards that all insurers must follow for these electronic transmissions. The goal is to streamline the prior authorization process and reduce delays in patients receiving prescribed medications.

Take Action

Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.