Important Issues

Join the letter here

MSDC wants to make it clear - a hearing on prior authorization is excellent, but it is not the end. The hearing must lead to meaningful reform via legislation being marked up and sent to the Council.

That's why MSDC is asking physicians, practices, and organizations to join our letter. The letter does two things - it thanks the committee for holding the hearing and urges a quick mark-up of the bill. The sooner the bill works its way through DC's long legislative process, the quicker reform can be enacted.

The text of the letter is below and on the sign-up form.

The deadline to sign the letter is May 19 by 5 PM ET. That will allow us to deliver the letter to the committee before the hearing.

Physicians and supporters are encouraged to testify at the hearing for B25-124 on May 24. Those interested in learning more or seeking assistance from MSDC can contact hay@msdc.org or call 202-466-1800.

May 23, 2023

The Honorable Christina Henderson
Chair, Committee on Health
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20004

Dear Chair Henderson,

We, the undersigned physicians and healthcare professionals, thank you for holding a hearing on B25-124, the Prior Authorization Reform Act. At the hearing, you will hear numerous stories of how prior authorization is harming patient care, driving up health care costs, and burning out physicians and providers. For these reasons, we urge your committee to mark up this legislation as soon as possible and send it to the full Council.

A recent American Medical Association (AMA) physician survey on prior auth showed that:
• 93% of physicians report care delays because of prior authorization.
• 80% of physicians report that prior authorizations can at least sometimes lead to treatment abandonment.
• 1/3rd of surveyed physicians report a prior authorization led to a serious adverse event for a patient
• Physicians and staff spend almost 2 business days (14 hours) each week completing prior authorizations.

We thank you for holding a hearing on this bill because you and your colleagues need to hear our stories about how prior authorizations negatively impact physicians and medical practices across the District. After the hearing, we ask you to work as quickly as possible to markup the bill so DC can join 40 other states in reforming the prior authorization process.

Sincerely,