CMS Issues Final Prior Authorization Rule Just 9 Days After Comments Due

CMS largely dismissed providers and plans’ concerns that its proposal to ease prior authorization hurdles for patients would impose regulatory burdens on the industry, and it moved ahead to finalize the rule Friday (Jan. 15) , less than nine business days after comments were due. The agency made few changes to the rule it had just proposed Dec. 10 to streamline the prior authorization process by limiting the amount of time payers can take to issue decisions to 72 hours...