If you ever had to wait a long time for a prescription approval from your insurance, then you know how frustrating the process can be. Getting prior authorization for medication is a major headache for both patients and providers. It can create confusion and cause delays in getting the treatment the patient needs. However, technology has made things relatively more accessible for both patients and healthcare providers. So, moving forward, we’ll walk you through the top challenges and how technology solves them when it comes to getting prior authorization for medication.
1. Time Consuming
This is the most common challenge when it comes to prescription authorization. Doctors often have to spend most of their time on paperwork, then sending it to insurance companies and waiting for approval for 3 to 4 business days or even weeks.
Electronic prior auth solutions make this whole process online, which reduces the legwork for doctors. This way, insurance companies can review and approve claims more quickly, sometimes even in real-time.
2. Too Much Paperwork
Paperwork is a huge administrative burden for providers. Do you know that doctors used to take around 20 hours per week to fill out prescription authorizations? From filling in forms and calling insurance companies to follow up, time is taken away from patient care.
So, how has technology helped? Prescription authorization solutions lessen the paperwork by automating the entire process. Instead of filling out the end number of forms, doctors can now submit requests with just a few clicks. They can also track the status without having to chase anyone.
3. Communication Gap
The communication gap is another significant drawback in the process of prescription authorization. This miscommunication often leads to missing or incorrect information, causing the whole process to slow down or even denials.
But with Electronic prior auth solutions, communication has become seamless. Whether it is the doctor, insurance payer, or pharmacy, every party can access the same information in real time. This significantly reduces the mistakes and speeds up the process.
4. Frequent Insurance Denials
Most of the time, prior authorization gets denied because of less or incorrect information. This can be very frustrating, especially for those patients who are in immediate need of their medications. It also leads to resubmission of authorization from the initial stage.
Technology has significantly minimized this problem; electronic systems ensure that all the necessary details are sent correctly in the first place. This drastically reduces the chance of denials and helps get medications approved much faster.
5. Treatment Delays
The whole process of prior authorization for medication is complex and time-consuming. Thus, patients have to wait for their medication until it’s approved. But, waiting for necessary medications can be stressful, especially for those patients who need them urgently.
However, with electronic prior auth solutions, the entire prior authorization process becomes faster and smoother. This way, patients can get their medications faster, which helps them follow their treatment plans and avoid unnecessary delays in care.
Conclusion
Prescription authorization has been the bottleneck in healthcare for a long time, but technology is helping to solve these problems. The integration of electronic prior auth solutions has resulted in faster approval, reduced paperwork, and ensuring patients get their medications on time without unnecessary delays. By embracing technology in prior authorization, healthcare providers can ditch the hassle of administrative burden and focus more on their primary duty of providing care.