Many insurance companies routinely need prior authorization before administering treatments, drugs, or operations. It is used to assist prevent needless treatments, redundant treatments, and other potential issues.
Although the wait times for preapprovals have increased dramatically, this might not always be an issue and could even be dangerous for the patient’s health.
Ron Winters, a cancer patient, claims that he had to wait weeks or months to receive pre-approval for almost everything he needed to get done.
“For them to take weeks — up to months — to provide an authorization is ridiculous,” Winters stated. “It doesn’t matter if it’s cancer or not.”
He claimed that it took them four weeks following his diagnosis to receive VA approval for the simple act of having the malignancy removed. He had to wait another month for the VA to approve the removal of his bladder after he finished his chemotherapy. He claimed that obtaining pre-approval from the VA was necessary even for ordinary tasks, and that this process took time.
A “delay in care is never acceptable,” according to the VA, which agreed that this type of care is unacceptable. According to VA press secretary Terrence Hayes, “We will also urgently review this matter and take steps to ensure that it does not happen again,” KFF Health News was informed.
Waiting weeks for permission adds to the already stressful and costly process of receiving cancer treatment, which is already a burden for patients. Cancer patients don’t want to go through it when they are fighting for their lives and going through one of the darkest periods of their lives.
Winters is not the only cancer patient who has to deal with the VA’s lengthy approval processes and delays. Even while many argue that these pre-approvals are beneficial, there will be more issues with patients experiencing delays if we keep going at this rate.
Radiation oncologist Chino stated, “This is unusual and cruel.” The fact that there is still a two-week delay is “unconscionable,” she continued, and it might be fatal.
Many cancer patients expressed their worries about accessing appropriate care in a timely manner and about figuring out a system that seems so complicated to operate.
“You have to navigate the most complicated system on the planet,” stated Chino. “If you’re just sitting there waiting for them to take care of you, they won’t.”
