A long-awaited bill to reform prior authorization in Medicare Advantage is gaining serious momentum in Congress. The Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act — seven years in the making — has 296 House cosponsors and carries a $0 price tag. Supporters say it's the best shot yet to codify transparency and electronic prior auth requirements into law.
After seven years of starts and stops, the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act is once again moving through Congress — and supporters say this time feels different. The bill, recently approved by the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, targets prior authorization abuses in Medicare Advantage by requiring greater transparency, mandating CMS to publicly post each plan's denial track record, and requiring electronic prior authorization across the board. With 296 House cosponsors (167 Democrats, 129 Republicans) and 70 Senate cosponsors, the bill has rare bipartisan backing — and a $0 price tag.
The bill's cost dropped dramatically after the Biden administration finalized a related regulation in 2024, which already requires Medicare Advantage plans to issue prior auth decisions within 72 hours for urgent cases and 7 days for non-urgent ones. But advocates argue a law is stronger than a regulation — and the bill adds key provisions the rule doesn't, like a centralized CMS website where seniors can compare plans' prior auth performance.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Prior authorization delays aren't just a paperwork headache — they can mean significant waits for seniors needing critical care. Codifying these reforms into law would give them lasting teeth, reduce administrative burden on clinicians, and give patients a clearer window into how their insurance plan actually performs.
