Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act Aims to Expedite Medicare Approval

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2024 seeks to streamline the prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans, urging Congress to pass the legislation before year-end. This act would codify enhancements to a final rule established by the Biden administration, which mandates expedited timelines for prior authorization (PA) approvals. Brian Buckley from the American College of Physicians (ACP) emphasizes the need for quick legislative action to alleviate the administrative burdens associated with current PA procedures.

The proposed bill mandates the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide reports on real-time decision implementations and their impact on enrollees, ensuring accountability in the PA process. It comes after previous stalled efforts to reform PA policies in 2019 and aims to secure long-lasting changes to safeguard the expedited process against future alterations without Congressional approval. The ACP advocates for the swift passage of this zero-cost bill to improve care accessibility for seniors.