On June 24, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood at the podium flanked by Medicare chief Dr. Mehmet Oz and announced a sweeping agreement with the country’s largest health insurers. The target was clear. End the bureaucratic chokehold known as prior authorization. The pledge was signed. The timeline is set. The system that has delayed care for millions is now on notice.
The numbers are not vague. According to HHS, 85% of Americans have experienced delays in treatment because of prior authorization. Doctors report spending 12 to 15 hours per week filling out forms, chasing approvals, and navigating appeals. That is time not spent treating patients. That is time lost to paperwork. The system has been broken for years. Now it is being rebuilt.
🚨 BREAKING: RFK Jr. Announces Program to END Insurance Pre-Authorization!
“85% of Americans say that they have had delays in health care because of prior authorization. The doctors hate it. It costs them 12 to 15 hours a week filling out forms.”
This is a MASSIVE win for… pic.twitter.com/hGEmWdPrZ5
— Lauren Lee (@sheislaurenlee) June 23, 2025
The agreement is voluntary, but the pressure is real. UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Kaiser Permanente have all signed on. These companies cover nearly 80% of Americans. They have pledged to reduce the number of services requiring pre-approval, standardize electronic submissions, and provide real-time decisions for most requests by 2027. They also agreed to honor existing approvals when patients switch plans and to ensure that only licensed medical professionals review denials.
The stakes are not abstract. Delays in care have led to missed diagnoses, worsened conditions, and in some cases, preventable deaths. The system was designed to control costs. It ended up rationing care. RFK Jr. called it what it is. “Pitting patients and their doctors against massive companies was not good for anyone.” Dr. Oz added that the issue has become combustible. “There’s violence in the streets over these issues,” he said, referencing the targeted killing of a UnitedHealthcare executive last year.
The reforms are set to begin immediately. By January 2026, insurers must reduce the volume of services requiring prior authorization. By 2027, most requests must be processed in real time. CMS will monitor compliance. If insurers fail to deliver, federal regulations are ready to be triggered. The administration is not bluffing. The industry knows it.
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